ISLAMABAD: Angered by the absence of top officials from a meeting, convened to discuss a raid at the house of a senator, a Senate panel on Thursday asked the secretary interior, inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad and other relevant officers to attend the next meeting in person.

Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which met here with Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair to discuss the raid at the house of Senator Saifullah Nyazee said that the committee will use all its authorities including moving a privilege motion against these officials if they do not turn up in the next meeting scheduled for Monday.

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) director administration was the only official to have attended the meeting. Other who have been summoned in person include chief commissioner Islamabad, deputy inspector general of police (operations), additional director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the director of FIA.

The chairman said Saifullah Khan Nyazee belongs to a well known family and was in politics for the last 26 years. He said the raid at his house was incomprehensible.

Committee chairman says privilege motion will be moved against officials if they do not turn up

He said the treatment being meted out to parliamentarians for the last four months was highly condemnable.

A letter with respect to Thursday’s meeting had been written to the secretary interior and the chairman had also talked to the special secretary (interior). He said notices had been sent to the chief commissioner, IGP and FIA officials.

Mr Aziz said such treatment with members of the Parliament and the common man will not be overlooked at any cost. He made it clear that entering somebody’s house without a search warrant was illegal.

Leader of the opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem said sanctity of the Parliament has been trampled and law has been blatantly violated. He regretted that the raiding party without being accompanied by women forced their way into the bedroom of Mr Nyazee and women and children were harassed.

Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan said the matter was sub-judiced. He said the committee should hold an in-camera meeting to discuss the matter and hear the viewpoint of relevant institutions.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha said relevant institutions had made such a big mistake that they had no courage to face the Parliament.

Senator Azam Khan Swati said the parliamentary committees were an extension of the Parliament. He said not only the sanctity of the committee but of the entire house has been breached.

Other members also condemned the raid and search without warrants and slammed officials for skipping the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2022