ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR), retired Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan, was asked to leave a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights by committee chairman Babar Nawaz Khan on Wednesday.

Before leaving, Mr Chohan said he respected the members of the standing committee and would follow their directions. However, members continued to tell him to leave.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq intervened and acted as a mediator following the incident and Mr Khan later regretted his behaviour.

Mr Chohan arrived at the meeting of the standing committee along with his team when it began. Mr Khan alleged that Mr Chohan deliberately refused to participate in a previous committee meeting and directed his staff not to participate as well, due to which a privilege motion was moved against him.

Committee chairman alleges HR body chief deliberately avoided attending previous meetings

He said Mr Chohan had no right to sit in the committee unless he explained himself to the privilege committee, and told him to “get out” of the committee room. The committee members also began telling Mr Chohan to leave.

According to the minutes of a previous meeting, which are available with Dawn, a member of the NCHR told a committee meeting held in Lahore on Aug 29 that Mr Chohan could not attend because his wife was unwell.

The minutes claim that “after thorough investigation, it was confirmed that Mr Chohan deliberately avoided attending the 10th and 11th meeting”, and directed his subordinate staff not to attend the standing committee meeting as well.

The documents state that Mr Chohan was directed to begin an investigation into the illegal organ trade in Rawalpindi, but did not bother to comply with the committee’s directions. Therefore, the committee decided to move a privilege motion against him.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Chohan said he was in his 60s and has served as a judge in a number of courts and in an international court.

“The behaviour of the committee chairman, who is just 29 years old, was against parliamentary traditions. No one says ‘get out’ to a person who even visits the house; the members’ attitude on Thursday was unethical,” he said.

‘I could not attend the meeting in Lahore because my wife was unwell. The committee moved a privilege motion that I did not attend the meeting, so I decided to attend the meeting on Thursday to clarify my position.”

Mr Chohan said he was grateful to the National Assembly speaker for intervening and mediating. “In the end Mr Babar also regretted his attitude, so I believe this kind of problem will not come up in the future,” he added.

In response to a question, Mr Chohan said the committee wanted him to conduct raids in various places, but he is not empowered to do so.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2016