MUZAFFARGARH: On the production order of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, police took detained MNA Jamshed Ahmad Dasti to Islamabad to enable him attend the National Assembly’s ongoing session.

A police officer said they had received the speaker’s order to produce the MNA.

Meanwhile, the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered the police to allow the family to meet Dasti.

The MNA’s family had moved the court against the police who were allegedly not allowing the family to meet the legislator in the jail.

MNA’s mother Ghulam Sakina, 75, and his sister alleged that the police inflicted torture on Jamshed Dasti.

Muzaffargarh police had arrested Dasti on June 8 when he was returning from Islamabad. Initially, he was sent to the Multan central jail and later to the Dera Ghazi Khan jail.

The district government had a case registered against him for opening sluices of Dinga minor. Later, police added section 7-ATA. On Tuesday last, he was booked in an illegal weapon case.

He was produced before the special court on Wednesday. The court granted him bail in two cases while three cases were still being heard.

On Wednesday, a number of farmers gathered at Kalu Headworks and took out a rally in favour of Dasti.

Rana Mahboob Akhtar, general secretary of Awami Raj Party, alleged that the ruling PML-N was exerting pressure on the MNA. Budh Union Council Chairman Akhtar Hussain Noon threatened that farmers would suspend the supply of oil from Parco and PSO depots if he was not released. Though the Dinga minor incident took place on May 29, the case against the MNA was registered on June 8. Sources said it was after the President’s address to the parliament earlier in June that the authorities decided to teach a lesson to the MNA since his conduct in the house was annoying for the treasury. Dasti had reportedly tore apart the booklet containing president’s speech.

Sources said provincial minister Amanat Khan asked the Muzaffargarh irrigation officials to lodge a case against Dasti.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2017