ISLAMABAD, June 20: Member National Assembly and chairman of the house’s human rights committee Riaz Fatiyana, who is in police custody at Kamalia, should be allowed to attend the meeting of the committee on Thursday (today).

This was stated by Dr Atia Inayatullah, MNA, of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) at a press conference here on Wednesday.

She said Speaker National Assembly Fehmida Mirza was out of the city and the PML-Q was in touch with her office to get the production order for Mr Fatiyana. “Workers of PML-N seem to be behind the riots that took place in Kamalia during which a 14-year-old youth was killed,” she alleged.

Advocate Liaquat Binori, Chaudhry Mohammad Shafique, the executive director of Parliamentarians Commission on Human Rights, and others were also present during the press conference.

Ms Atia said because of the prolonged power loadshedding, people had no choice but to protest. However, after 18th amendment, energy has become a provincial subject.

“Riots have flared up only in Punjab and after Hamid Yar Hiraj’s house, a violent mob tried to burn Mr Fatiyana’s residence at Kamalia which shows that there is some conspiracy,” she said.

“Being its chairman, rules allow Mr Fatiyana to attend the meeting of the standing committee. Mr Fatiyana was told by the police that he was being taken into custody for the safety of his life but later an FIR was registered against him,” she said.

“I have been trying to contact Mr Fatiyana for the last 24 hours but without any success. It is a clear violation of basic human rights. We will demand a report from the Punjab government through the forum of the standing committee,” she said.

Liaquat Binori said it was the right of every person to protest but no one should damage public property. Now the chief minister of Punjab has also started appealing to the people to cool down, he added.

He said the inspector general of Sindh police had already advised traders to get arms licences to resist criminals. Everyone has the right to self-defence. “It was a planted rally in Kamalia which was diverted towards the residence of Mr Fatiyana,” he said.

Mohammad Shafique said DPO Ahsan Younus was responsible for the death of the 14-year-old Ramesh Ali. Besides, two political personalities - Rahil Gujar and Asadur Rehman - were behind the riots, he said.

An official from the National Assembly speaker office told Dawn that the MNA had to apply for the issuance of a production order to attend the assembly session.