Gilani finds it annoying when manufacturing orders are flouted.

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani criticized officials on Saturday for not bringing in PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who was imprisoned, even after production orders were issued.

PTI Senator Aon Abbas Buppi was introduced, however Gilani sent the Chaudhry case to the Privileges Committee due to his recurrent disregard for the law.

Buppi, meantime, took advantage of the opportunity to tell the House about his experience and thanked Gilani for his “principled stance.”

In his verdict, Gilani asserted: “Such disregard for parliamentary authority cannot be allowed to persist unchecked, as it threatens the institutional integrity of the Senate and the broader democratic framework.”

He gave the committee a formal assignment to investigate the matter and provide a report.

“I hereby refer the matter of non-implementation of the production orders concerning Senator Ejaz Chaudhry to the Privileges Committee for its consideration and report,” he stated.

“However, yet again, the directives concerning Senator Ejaz Chaudhry have not been fulfilled, amounting to non-compliance with the lawful orders of the Chair,” Gilani said, recognizing Buppi’s presence.

He issued a warning, stating that disregarding Senate orders was a “breach of privilege” as defined by Rule 71 of the Senate’s 2012 Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

“This is not an unprecedented situation,” Gilani said, citing a similar violation of instructions during his time as speaker of the National Assembly (1993-1997), adding that he had previously been “compelled” to take similar measures.

He reiterated his dedication to respecting legislative supremacy and the rule of law.
Bappi describes his situation at home.

After being introduced to the Senate, Buppi recounted his experience and thanked Gilani for his “principled stance” and refusal to preside over the proceedings in the event that neither of the PTI senators was brought.

Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Law Minister, was also commended by Buppi for his “stand,” which he said resulted in a decrease in “some of the hardships and oppression” against him.

According to Buppi, who recounted the events on March 6, about 8:30 am, some 20 people broke through the front entrance of his Multan home and restrained his house workers. He said that a “joint operation” was carried out that also targeted his factory, without mentioning any specific law enforcement agency.

“I was sleeping with my wife when they banged the door so hard that the lock broke and they just entered,” he stated.

Buppi also said that the people threatened to put his 16-year-old son in jail after demanding his cell phones and failing to deliver them right away. Only when a housekeeper got the phones did his kid get out.

Buppi recounted his court appearance, where he was sent on a one-day remand. Comparing his case to those of Fawad Chaudhry and Shehryar Afridi, he sarcastically referred to the charges against him as a “respectable FIR”.

The PTI senator claimed his only “fault” was running an anti-inflation campaign in south Punjab, remaining loyal to PTI founder Imran Khan and advocating for jailed PTI leaders.

“These are my faults for which I have faced punishment for two days and might face it in the future as well,” he remarked.

It is pertinent to note that Gilani had issued production orders for both PTI senators a day earlier, directing authorities to ensure their presence in Saturday’s session. However, Chaudhry, who remains incarcerated at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, was once again not brought to the House.

Notably, Gilani had directed officials to guarantee the two PTI senators’ attendance at Saturday’s session by issuing production orders for them a day earlier. But once again, Chaudhry was not taken to the House; he is still being held in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore.

Saturday’s absence from work was Chaudhry’s third unfulfilled manufacturing order. Gilani issued a similar order in January to allow Chaudhry to attend the Senate session on January 14. However, he was not produced, and opposition MPs protested with his photos.

In relation to the May 9 violence, Chaudhry was initially taken into custody on May 11, 2023, in accordance with Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). On May 25, he was detained again and sent to Lahore, despite the Islamabad High Court ruling that his incarceration under the MPO was unlawful.