Police detain Punjab Assembly official ahead of session

Punjab Police has taken a high-level official of the Punjab Assembly Secretariat into custody hours ahead of the hurried-called session by Speaker Pervaiz Elahi. Rai Mumtaz, who is director general of parliamentary affairs of the assembly, was detained after police officials scaled the walls of his residence to make the arrest. Meanwhile, the police also raided the residences of PA Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti and Coordination Secretary Inayatullah but failed to detain them as both of them were not present at their homes. The police allegedly ransacked their houses as well. The arrest of the assembly official was condemned by PA Speaker Pervaiz Elahi who said the provincial government led by CM Hamza Shehbaz had resorted to pressure tactics against the Opposition. He alleged the PML-N government was violating the Constitution through such acts, adding that the Sharifs have also been exposed in front of the nation through such actions. Read Punjab Assembly secy, police play hide and seek on LHC premises Separately, in an apparent bid to stop the assembly session, the police have been deployed around the Punjab Assembly and the main gate of the building has been locked by the government. According to details, barbed wire has also been placed around the assembly to discourage the entry of MPAs or other assembly officials. The entry of PA employees and others has been banned as well. The arrest and deployment of the police force came a day after Elahi changed the date of the session from May 30 to May 22. Elahi's decision came amid the de-seating of the 25 lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that had voted for Hamza Shehbaz in the elections for the seat of the Punjab CM. Elahi, a joint candidate of the PTI-PML-Q alliance for the CM post, called the session as his chances to become the chief minister, especially after the de-seating of dissident MPAs, have considerably grown.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | eTribune https://ift.tt/DQ4joIy