Police directed to beef up parliament’s security

NA body expresses ‘alarm’ over the presence of irrelevant persons around the House.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on House and Library expressed dissatisfaction over security arrangements in the Parliament House, Parliament Lodges and Government Hostels.

The committee directed Islamabad Police to ensure foolproof security of parliamentarians.

The committee met on Thursday under the chairmanship of NA Acting Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi

to review the overall security situation of the House.

The committee members said it was “alarming” that “strange” people often managed to enter the premises.

They directed law enforcement agencies and the House’s internal security to keep a strict watch on irrelevant persons in and around the premises.

The committee also directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make necessary arrangements for the provision of shades and water coolers to the chauffeurs, guards and other staff of parliamentarians during the budget session.

Additionally, the committee was informed by relevant officials that action against the National Assembly Employees Housing Society (NAEHS) embezzlers could not be taken yet as those accused had filed a petition with Islamabad High Court and gotten a stay order.

The NA Additional Secretary informed the committeethat the Secretariat had written several letters to the concerned departments for action against the implicated officials but nothing had been done so far, since the case was sub judice.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmed told the committee that negotiations were underway with an adjusting society for the provision of plots to the society’s members, based on the recommendations of the committee.

He said that the society’s administration had agreed to provide plots to them on the same price as NAECHS.

He assured the committee that the negotiations would be concluded soon. Moreover, he revealed that Islamabad Administration had retrieved 130 kanals of the society’s encroached land.

Kundi directed Islamabad Administration to enter into similar negotiations with other societies and submit a report in the committee’s next meeting.

He assured the committee that appropriate action would be taken against those involved in the NAECHS scam, in line with the special committee’s report.