No entry: Armed guards banned from Parliament House

ISLAMABAD:

From now on, armed guards accompanying members will be barred from the precincts of Parliament House.

Even escort vehicles will have to be parked outside at D Chowk. A decision in this regard was taken on Monday during a meeting chaired by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, according to a statement released by the National Assembly Secretariat.

It was also decided that all entry into Parliament House will only be allowed on special passes issued by National Assembly Secretariat on members’ recommendations. Kundi directed all security agencies to enhance inter-departmental liaison for more effective arrangements. However, the statement released after the meeting did not say who would monitor the implementation of the new directives.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2012.