Opposition stages walkout in NA over delay in Saad Rafique's production order

ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Thursday staged a walkout in the National Assembly in protest over non-issuance of the production order for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Khawaja Saad Rafique.

The opposition has maintained to not attend any further sessions until the issuance of said order.

Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in connection to the Paragon Housing Society scam after the Lahore High Court rejected their request for an extension in their pre-arrest bail in the case.

PML-N lawmaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that the opposition will not accept any further delay in the issuance of Rafique's production order.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar informed the house that he is looking at the legal aspects of the production order, adding that he would never compromise on the sanctity of the house.

Earlier, in a parliamentary party session under Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, the PML-N reiterated that the assembly will not effectively function if Rafique’s production orders are not issued.

The parliamentary leaders strongly condemned the arrest of Rafique and his brother.

The party leaders said that the ‘NAB-Niazi nexus’ is perpetrating vindictive acts which are undermining law and transparency in the legal system.

The NAB and government are using political opponents, said the party leaders, adding that this attitude is leading Pakistan towards financial instability.

NAB allegations

Following Rafique brothers' arrests, NAB Lahore issued a press release and stated that "Accused Saad Rafique along with his benamidaar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue which was converted into a new housing project namely M/S Paragon City Pvt Limited. Record shows that M/S Paragon City is an illegal society."

“Accused in collusion, connivance and collaboration of Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia cheated the members of public at large and obtained illegal pecuniary benefits from the funds of said illegal housing project," it added.

Further, it stated, "Accused is operating this illegal housing project through his associates/ co-accused persons who are collecting deposits from general public despite clear directions from LDA that this project is unapproved."

"Accused has been and is continuously obtaining illegal/ illegitimate funds/ benefits from said project as he obtained 40 kanal plots in his own name and the name of his brother Salman Rafique.”

The press release continued, “Accused by misusing his official position continued the expansion and marketing of illegal housing project and also obtained undue benefits in the form of sale of numbers of commercial plots worth billions of rupees which were actually not owned by M/S Paragon City. Thus the buyers have been cheated through this action of corruption and corrupt practices.