ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani on Monday issued production order for PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who has been incarcerated for 18 months.

This is not the first production order issued for the senator, who is imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. In March last year, Mr Chaudhry was due to be produced in the Senate, but was unable to attend the session.

In November, he was among 21 other PTI figures formally indic­ted by a Lahore Anti-Ter­rorism Court (ATC) in cases related to countrywide riots on May 9, 2023, registered with the Race Course and Sarwar Road police stations.

Mr Chaudhry said that despite being a member of the Senate, he was not allowed to attend parliamentary sessions.

“No hardship has been able to break us and nor will it. The state oppression will end,” he added. The request to produce Mr Chaudhry was made by Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz.

“The Honourable Cha-irman Senate considers ne­­­­cessary the presence of Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chau­­dhry during the sittings of the 345th session of the Senate of Pakistan,” the order read.

“The Honourable Cha­irman Senate has been ple­­ased to summon Sena­tor Ejaz Ahmad Chaud­hary to attend the sittings of the said session at the Parliament House.”

The order, addressed to the secretary of the inter­ior minister among others, directed them to “produce Senator Ejaz Ahmad Cha­u­­­dhary at the comme­­nc­e­ment of each sitting of the said session”, stating that Chaudhary would be ret­u­rned to their custody upon the end of the sitting.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025