ISLAMABAD: A bill seeking to bar the arrest and preventive detention of lawmakers for specified periods landed in the Senate on Friday amid a noisy protest by the PTI demanding production orders of its member Azam Swati.

The Members of Parliament Privileges Bill was moved by PPP’s Mian Raza Rabbani a day after the National Assembly passed a similar bill only for MNAs.

The bill says no member shall be detained under any law pertaining to preventive detention at any time 15 days before the commencement and 15 days after the conclusion of a session.

“When an FIR is registered or a Reference is filed, against a Member, the Chairman or Speaker, as the case may be, shall be informed and copy of the FIR or Reference, as the case may be, shall be provided within 24 hours of such registration or filing,” it reads.

PTI members hold noisy protest for Swati’s production

It says when a member is required to be arrested or is sentenced to be imprisoned by a court or is detained under an executive order, the committing judge, magistrate or the executive authority shall immediately intimate the chairman or speaker, indicating the reasons for the arrest, detention or imprisonment of the member.

“When a Member of Parliament is summoned by or required to appear before any commission, tribunal, authority, organisation, agency or other, for any investigation or inquiry, as the case may be, the Chairman or Speaker, as the case may be, shall be informed of the same. The concerned authority shall intimate the brief facts/reasons,” it reads.

The bill also seeks to bind the authorities concerned to intimate to the chairman or speaker when a member is released on bail or otherwise or is acquitted of a criminal charge.

“The Chairman, Speaker or Chairman of a Committee shall summon a Member of Parliament in custody on the charge of any offence or under any law related to preventive detention to attend a sitting or sittings of the Senate, Assembly or meeting of a Committee of which he is a Member,” it reads.

No lawmaker shall be detained or arrested one week before the commencement of a session in which he is required to vote for the election of prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a money bill (annual budget).

The bill also seeks to bar the arrest of a member from within the precincts of parliament without the permission of the chairman or speaker.

This was the fourth consecutive sitting to have started with a noisy protest and ended within minutes.

Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who against the parliamentary practice is not giving floor to the opposition leader for several sittings, drew the ire of the opposition for not issuing production order of PTI Senator Azam Swati.

The session saw a strong protest from the opposition lawmakers, who encircled the dais of the chair and chanted slogans against the non-issuance of production order.

Chairman Sanjrani skipped the question hour and gave floor to Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan for moving a motion.

The motion was carried and some of the agenda items were disposed of in a brisk fashion amid noisy protest.

Soon after the presentation of bill by Mr Rabbani, the house was prorogued sine die without giving a promised opportunity to the opposition to speak.

Published in Dawn, October 22th, 2022