The Senate Standing Committee on Interior was informed on Saturday that 138 arms licences were issued to a US security agency Inter Risk by the Ministry of Interior illegally for which the concerned officials took $1800 per licence.
The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which met at the Parliament House with Senator Talha Mehmood in the chair, was informed that a number of high officials were involved in issuing arms' licences to the US security agencies illegally and other people for which investigation is in progress.
The committee directed the Ministry immediately cancel 5,986 prohibited bore licences issued by the Minister of State for Interior Tasneem Ahmed Quershi despite a ban was imposed by the Prime Minister. The Committee instructed the Ministry to furnish a complete report on all the prohibited and non-prohibited bore licences issued from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009 and to probe into the fake licences scam with the help of FIA.
It also directed that the ministry to cancel about 26000 fake licences forthwith. It also called for providing details about Captain Zaidi (Retd) licence scam wherein $1800 were allegedly paid flouting the rules. The meeting directed the FIA to submit a complete report in this regard. It said that if there would be any hurdles in its investigation then NAB would be asked to probe into the issue.
The committee was informed that considering the increase in the local militant activities in Katcha Area in Punjab, the Ministry of Interior has submitted a report to the provincial government, but no action has been taken in this regard so far. It is feared that if no immediate action would be taken in this regard the militants in nearby areas would be encouraged.
Senator Muhammad Adeel asked the Ministry of Interior to provide details to the Committee of the alleged militant training camps said to be operating in Balochistan and Sindh border areas seeking details from provincial governments within the next 15 days. The committee expressed concern over the re-hiring of the three section officers of the Ministry of interior involved in the issuance of arm licences illegally.
The committee instructed the Ministry of Interior and DPO DG Khan to present a comprehensive report with regard to the facts relating to the alleged life attempt on Senator Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari, who is also a Member of the Committee.
The Committee was critical of the absence of Minister for Interior, Minister of State for Interior and Secretary Interior from the meeting. They asked the chairman to take serious notice of their absence and take action against them.
The committee expressed its deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and urged the government to embark upon urgent measures to improve the situation. "The protection of life and property of citizens should be the highest priority and attention of the government", it observed. The committee was told that a committee was formulated to investigate the target killings in Karachi and submit its report within few days.
The Committee also expressed its dismay and displeasure over theft of an official vehicle from the residence of Senator Begum Najma Hameed, saying that if houses of Senators are not safe what would be the plight of an ordinary citizen of Pakistan.
Senator Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari suggested that the procedure of issuance of prohibited bore licences be streamlined and provincial governments may be asked to issue such licences through the DCOs. The Committee also took exception to closure of road and their portions in front of hotel Marriott and Serena in Islamabad and directed the CDA and ICT Police to take steps for their reopening as the closure is causing inconvenience to the general public. The meeting was attended by Senators Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Leader of the House in the Senate, Sughra Imam, Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Muhammad Adeel, Najma Hameed, Gulshan Saeed and Jamal Khan Leghari besides senior officials of the Ministry of Interior.