Government asked to implement law requiring prior permission from FO

Dr Fehmida Mirza, speaker National Assembly on Wednesday asked the government to implement the law requiring prior permission from Foreign Office for a visiting diplomat aspirant of holding meetings with Pakistani officials and politicians, implemented.
The speaker stated this after leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan raised the issue through a point of order. However, the point of order turned into a short debate between the leader of the opposition and Interior Minister Rehman Malik as both were shifting the onus on each other (government and opposition) for the implementation.
Chaudhry Nisar had said that there is no country in the world where a visiting diplomat goes for a meeting with army chief in GHQ on his own. It is happening in Pakistan, he added. He said that there exists a law that demand a prior permission from the foreign office and questioned the government as to why the government was not getting it implemented. Such traditions were established during the regime of military dictator which should no longer exist, he added.
Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik responded to Chaudhry Nisar's point of order regarding the issue of Shah Zain Bugti's manhandling by the security agencies.
Chaudhry Nisar had stated that civilised countries do not treat their people the way Shah Zain Bugti was dealt with and demanded the Interior Minister to take action against those security personnel who had manhandled Bugti. Rehman Malik said that he had established a joint investigation team to probe the matter and Bugti was shifted to a rest house where he was in judicial remand. He said that there is documentary evidence that can prove Bugti that arms recovered by security agencies actually belong to him.
He offered the house to constitute a committee of parliamentarians and investigate the matter on its own if there were doubts. Rehman Malik said that he had received the footage of the incident and action would be taken against the security personnel after their identification.
While responding to another issue raised by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan regarding heavy security arrangements, Rehman Malik said that whatever arrangements were made were meant for the sake of security. It is the result of these measures that we have not witnessed any blast in Islamabad, he added. The leader of the opposition has also demanded the President and the Prime Minister for reduction in official protocol.