IGP, interior secretary’s absence irks Senate panel

Committee meeting called on single-point agenda regarding privilege motion of Senator in baton charge incident

Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges in its meeting on Wednesday strongly registered its protest on the absence of Islamabad Inspector General of Police Amir Zulfiqar Khan and Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan by deferring the meeting without taking up discussion on agenda.

Committee Chairperson Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq observed that the meeting cannot be conducted while the administrative heads of the concerned departments are absent without any intimation and have not even bothered to nominate the additional inspector general and additional secretary respectively to attend the meeting.

IGP calls for changing ‘thana culture’

The committee meeting was called on a single point agenda regarding privilege motion of Senator Behramand Tangi in the incident of baton charge on a senator who went to observe the court proceedings on March 25, 2019 with respect to the cases of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Senators John Kenneth Williams, Nighat Mirza, Khanzada Khan, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, the mover and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati were present in the meeting.

Swati assured the committee of the presence of concerned secretary and heads of departments in the next meeting, saying that no excuses can be accepted.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2019.