The sudden death of an opposition lawmaker on Monday derailed the government’s attempt to pass the controversial Elections Amendment Bill in the National Assembly. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq further complicated matters by announcing that another opposition member had been abducted by unknown armed men near Gujranwala last week.
Speaker Sadiq revealed the abduction while addressing the house, echoing his statements from Friday when opposition members raised the issue of the disappearance of PTI-backed MNA Haji Imtiaz Ahmed from Mandi Bahauddin. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had assured the opposition he would personally investigate the matter.
“I had previously shared with Aamer Dogar [chief whip of the PTI] that according to the reply I have received, Haji Imtiaz is neither in the custody of police nor of the anti-corruption department,” said Speaker Sadiq, without disclosing the source of the written reply.
The issue of Haji Imtiaz’s disappearance was first raised by Leader of the Opposition Omer Ayub Khan, followed by PTI MNAs Aamer Dogar and Latif Khosa, during their speeches offering condolences over the death of their colleague, Rahimyar Khan MNA Mumtaz Mustafa. Mustafa passed away from a heart attack at the Parliament Lodges just hours before the session began.
“Our colleague in this house has been declared an enforced disappeared person,” said Opposition Leader Khan, displaying a portrait of Haji Imtiaz. He claimed Imtiaz had not been taken into police custody and alleged the MNA was being tortured.
“Who is torturing him, intelligence agencies or somebody else? The responsibility lies on you, Mr. Speaker, as the custodian of the house,” Khan stated, urging Speaker Sadiq to ensure Imtiaz’s recovery.
Aamer Dogar highlighted that both the late Mumtaz Mustafa and the missing Haji Imtiaz were among the 41 MNAs who had recently affirmed their affiliation with the PTI, following a Supreme Court verdict. Dogar mentioned that Mustafa had been staying at the Parliament Lodges due to fears of being abducted from his constituency.
Latif Khosa urged the speaker to question the reliability of the reports regarding Haji Imtiaz’s status. “You have received a written reply that he is not in police custody and not in the custody of the anti-corruption department. Has he disappeared off the face of the earth?” Khosa asked.
At the session’s outset, Speaker Sadiq informed members of Mumtaz Mustafa’s death and suspended normal business as per parliamentary tradition. The house was scheduled to pass a resolution on Youm-i-Istehsal-i-Kashmir, which will now be tabled on Tuesday.
Khawaja Izharul Hassan of the MQM-P expressed regret over the blocked access to the Parliament Lodges’ porch, which delayed emergency response efforts for Mustafa. The speaker announced that a permanent forklift would be stationed at the Lodges to remove vehicles parked in unauthorised areas, with owners held responsible for any damages.
The Elections Amendment Bill, 2024, already cleared by the National Assembly’s relevant standing committee, was part of the agenda but could not be taken up. The bill aims to prevent the reemergence of PTI as the single-largest party in the National Assembly.