Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday issued production orders for PTI Senators Ejaz Chaudhry and Aon Abbas Buppi, directing authorities to ensure their presence in tomorrow's Senate session.
This is not the first time a production order has been issued for Chaudhry, who is currently incarcerated at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. Back in January, Gilani issued a similar order for Chaudhry, who has been in custody for over 19 months, allowing him to attend the Senate session on January 14. However, Chaudhry failed to appear, and opposition lawmakers displayed placards with his image during the session in protest of his absence.
In the case of Buppi, the Senate was informed just a day earlier that he had been arrested on charges of illegally poaching deer in Cholistan. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, raised concerns about the manner of Buppi's arrest, questioning whether proper procedure had been followed and if prior notification had been sent to the Senate Secretariat. The police reportedly arrested Buppi during a raid at his Multan residence.
According to the production orders, Chaudhry remains in judicial custody at Kot Lakhpat Jail, while Buppi is held by Bahawalpur police. Gilani has summoned both senators to attend the Senate session on Saturday at 11:30 am, in accordance with Rule 84 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012.
“The honorable chairman considers the presence of Senators Chaudhry and Buppi necessary during the remaining sittings of the current 347th session of the Senate of Pakistan,” the orders stated.
The recipients of the order, including the interior secretary and officials from Punjab and Islamabad, were instructed to produce both senators “at the commencement of each sitting of the said session” before the Senate Secretariat’s sergeant-at-arms, after which they will be returned to custody.
Speaking to reporters earlier in Karachi, Gilani defended his actions, stating that he has always followed the rules throughout his 30-year political career. "This is not the first time I've been a member of parliament. I've always served 'by the book'. If I do anything, it's according to the rules," he said in response to a question about whether he was frustrated with the government's failure to enforce his earlier production order for Chaudhry.
“If an honorable member is in jail, then according to the rules, I can issue a production order,” Gilani explained. “If a production order is not enforced, it damages the integrity of parliament.”
Gilani also addressed reports about Buppi’s arrest, saying, “I’ve seen talk shows where people are saying a member (Buppi) has been picked up. I will tell the federal and Punjab governments to produce him. He should attend parliament. If he doesn’t attend tomorrow, I will issue a production order.”