Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Monday directed the Interior Secretary to issue arms licenses within a week to all those members of National Assembly (MNAs) who had applied for it.
The speakers gave the ruling after several members including Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Sardar Riaz Marzari and Muhammad Sajjad and others protested the delay in issuance of arms licenses to the parliamentarians despite lapses of so many months. Pervaiz Ashraf said that Chair only gave directions and the government had to establish its writ through implementation of the directions.
The government should suspend the Secretary and appoint new one, he added.
He said it could be a severe offense if the secretary did not implement government’s instructions. The speaker said committee was part of the Parliament and contempt of the house’s body was tantamount to contempt of the Parliament. The Secretary should attend the meeting of the committee, he added.
Speaking on point of Order Syed Ghulam Mustafa said that they were allies of the government and they have many reservations. He pointed out that the House special committee waited for the Secretary Interior and high officials from the ministry but none of them turned up the meeting. He said it was tantamount to the breach of privilege of the committee and the Parliament.
He demanded action against the concerned officials.Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that some licenses have been issued while remaining would be issued shortly. Minister for Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the interior minister should take notice of it.
The bureaucracy should represent their concerned ministries, he added. He supported the MNAs for granting licenses to the members who were waiting for the last five-six months after fulfilling all formalities. Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the ministers should direct their respective secretaries to attend the meeting. Sardar Riaz Mazari said the police and law enforcing agencies were not providing protection to them.
They needed arms licenses for their self protection and their applications had been pending since March with the interior ministry, he added. Muhammad Sajjad also endorsed the viewpoints of other members and demanded simplifying its procedure.
