National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq convened an urgent meeting in his chambers on Tuesday to address the recent arrests of lawmakers from within the Parliament House, an event that has sparked widespread concern.
During the meeting, Speaker Sadiq expressed his strong displeasure with Islamabad's Inspector General (IG) of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi over the arrests, demanding an explanation for the actions taken inside the Parliament House. He directed to take measures to ensure the release of the arrested members, sources said.
"Why the members were arrested inside the Parliament House? This is intolerable. Conduct a detailed inquiry into the entire matter," the speaker directed.
Speaker Sadiq made it clear that while the police holds the authority to detain individuals outside the parliament, any arrests within Parliament Lodges and the Parliament House are "unacceptable" and will not be tolerated.
"I will not stand the ridicule and humiliation of my members," he told the police chief in a stern conversation.
IGP Rizvi assured the speaker that he would look into the incident and provide a detailed report on the matter. "I will investigate the incident and submit a report," he responded.
Following the meeting, Speaker Sadiq agreed to the opposition's demand to issue production orders for the detained members. He sought an application from the opposition members regarding the issuance of production orders.
The speaker also ordered the necessary steps to facilitate the release of the arrested lawmakers.
Following the meeting, Ali Muhammad Khan told journalists that the speaker had issued production orders for the arrested members. He has also assured that an FIR would be registered. "The speaker has also called for CCTV footages," Khan remarked.