7-member NA committee formed to probe Dasti allegations

Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid tells NA that committee has been assigned to report within fortnight.

ISLAMABAD: A seven-member committee has been constituted to ascertain the accuracy of allegations made by Member of National Assembly (MNA) Jamshed Dasti against parliamentarians.

Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid told the National Assembly that the committee has been assigned to report within a fortnight. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has been authorised to change members of the committee.

The members included Imran Zafar Leghari, Dr Arif Alvi, Khaja Sohail Mansoor, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Kazim Ali Shah, Mian Abdul Mannan and Sheikh Rohail Asghar.

On February 27, Dasti had stunned fellow parliamentarians when he had said that liquor worth millions of rupees was supplied in the parliament lodges and that a pungent smell of hashish engulfs the area.

“Girls are brought in the lodges and dance parties [take place],” Dasti had alleged, claiming that he has evidence in the form of video footage of mujras taking place in the lodges.

There are 359 suites in the Parliament Lodges, 83 of which are reserved for members of the Senate, while the other 276 are for MNAs.