ISLAMABAD, April 5: Several legislators belonging to the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy have urged National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to issue production orders for jailed PML-N leaders Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Khwaja Saad Rafiq so that they could attend the next assembly session.

Parliamentary secretary of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy Izhar Amrohvi said that legislators belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-N and the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) had sent letters ahead of the National Assembly’s 34th session starting from Friday (April 7).

The letters were sent by acting parliamentary leader of the PML-N Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, ARD’s chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Tehmina Daultana, Khwaja Mohammad Asif, Pervez Malik, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Naheed Khan, Syed Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Mr Amrohvi said the opposition members believed that it was the constitutional and fundamental right of Mr Hashmi and Mr Rafiq to attend the National Assembly session and represent the people of their constituencies in parliament.

Both Mr Hashmi and Mr Rafiq are currently held in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Mr Hashmi was arrested on Oct 29, 2003 on charges of treason and is undergoing a 23-year imprisonment. His appeal is pending before the high court.