ISLAMABAD: Two days before the voting on a no-trust resolution against the prime minister, the National Assembly secretariat issued a production order on Friday for MNA Mohammad Ali Wazir, who has been behind bars for nearly 16 months for allegedly delivering anti-state speeches in Karachi.

According to a notification issued on Friday, the production order was issued after National Assembly Spea­ker Asad Qaiser summoned Mr Wazir to attend the April 3 session of the lower house under Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.

PTM-linked Ali Wazir, who was elected from the NA-50 constituency in South Waziristan tribal district as an independent candidate, is under detention on different charges registered at the Sohrab Goth police station in Karachi.

PTM-linked lawmaker was arrested in December 2020 for allegedly insulting state institutions

Copies of the notification were issued to the interior ministry secretary in Islamabad, chief commissioner of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Sindh’s chief and home department secretaries, Sindh and ICT police chiefs, and National Assembly’s sergeant-at-arms.

They were directed to produce Mr Wazir at the beginning of each National Assembly sitting before the sergeant-at-arms, who will deliver the MNA back to the custody of the authorities concerned after the sitting.

Earlier, Mr Wazir was produced before the lower house during the last budget and last year’s Senate elections to exercise his right to vote.

On Nov 30, the Supreme Court granted bail to Mr Wazir on the principles of consistency when other co-accused had already been released despite facing similar allegations.

But Mr Wazir was arrested again on Dec 16, 2020 on the charges of making insulting and incendiary remarks against state institutions while speaking at a public gathering in Karachi.

Meanwhile, a petition was also filed before the Supreme Court on Friday to seek production order in favour of Ali Wazir.

“It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that instant application may be allowed and the production of Ali Wazir, son of Mirza Alam, member [of the] National Assembly, NA-50 may very graciously be ordered to be made in the interest of justice,” pleaded the petition moved by another lawmaker, Mohsin Dawar, through his counsel Sardar Mohammad Latif Khan Khosa and Sardar Shahbaz Ali Khan Khosa.

If the present application was not allowed and the production orders of Ali Wazir MNA were not issued, the lawmaker would suffer irreparable loss and a democratic process would be hampered, the petition contended.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022