Arms licence fee exemption for MPAs, govt officials withdrawn

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has decided to withdraw exemptions on payment of arms licence fee allowed to legislators and government officials. However, the personnel of armed forces would continue to enjoy these exemptions.

A meeting of the Sindh Cabinet on Monday, chaired by chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, directed the provincial home department to immediately move a summary to implement this decision.

Sindh Information Minister, Ms. Shazia Marri, while briefing the media said that the Cabinet took up a five-point agenda which included exemption of armed licence fee, relief and rehabilitation, Balochistan House and legislation on hostels and domestic violence.

Armed licence 

She said that the meeting had decided to look into the rules relating exemptions on arms licence fee to the personnel of armed forces.  Presently the defence personnel and legislators have been given exemption from payment of arms licence fee. “The cabinet has advised the home department to move a separate summary to end the exemption for parliamentarians and government officers/employees.  We will check the rules for armed personnel,” she said.

Domestic violence 

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for women department Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto briefed the cabinet about the importance of a proposed bill against domestic violence. The CM and other cabinet members endorsed her views and suggested her to table a government bill in the assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.