ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges has summoned former prime minister Imran Khan and former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to appear in a case regarding the attack on Parliament Lodges.

A session of the committee was held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of PML-N MNA Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon. The committee expressed its displeasure regarding the non-appearance of Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid before the committee.

The committee refused to hear the Deputy Secretary National Health Services. He was subsequently dismissed from the hearing and the Secretary or Additional Secretary was told to appear before the committee.

Qasim Noon said arrest warrants will be issued if any official fails to appear before the committee. “Don’t take the committee lightly,” he warned.

The committee issued a notice to Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for their failure to appear before the committee.

The chairperson asked DIG Operations who was the IG Islamabad, DIG and SSP when the incident took place. The committee summoned the police officials to appear at the next hearing.

The incident occurred on March 10 this year when Islamabad police raided the Parliament Lodges to arrest the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) volunteers, who had entered the building on the pretext of providing security to the lawmakers.

The police action came after members of Ansarul Islam, a uniformed volunteer force of the JUI-F, stormed the Parliament Lodges in large numbers. Police also arrested JUI-F MNA Salahuddin Ayubi and 19 others.

The PTI government had backed the police action against the JUI-F supporters. The opposition slammed the police’s action and the manhandling of the lawmakers.

The incident happened just days after the opposition filed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly Secretariat.

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