ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Friday staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest against non-issuance of production orders for two detained leaders of PML-N Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal also walked out of the house on the issue of arrest of four women in Awaran district of Balochistan four days ago.

Proceedings of the lower house could not continue for more than 10 minutes after one member of the National Assembly pointed out lack of quorum and the session was adjourned till Monday.

Proceedings came to a halt within 10 minutes over lack of quorum

As the NA session began after recitation from the Holy Quran and playing of the national anthem, some leaders of the PML-N stood up to discuss the matter of non-issuance of production orders for their two leaders, but they were not allowed the discuss the matter by Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who was presiding over the house.

After PML-N leaders’ walkout, BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal, a government ally, also stood up and demanded the release of the four women picked up by intelligence agencies from Awaran district of Balochistan.

Mr Mengal also staged a walkout in protest against the “illegal detention” of the four women and keeping them in a torture cell. On Thursday, he had staged a sit-in in front of the speaker’s dais on the same issue.

According to Mr Mengal, four women had been arrested on Nov 29 and taken away to a torture cell and were allegedly tortured there.

On Tuesday, the BNP-M had termed the reported arrest of the women a “direct attack on the traditions of Baloch people”. The party had demanded the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the incident.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2019