Islamabad: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior has directed the issuance of arms licenses to assembly members.
The meeting of the Standing Committee on Interior was chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz, during which officials from the Ministry of Interior provided a briefing.
Committee member Tariq Fazal Chaudhry stated that many MNAs belong to tribal districts and face genuine security threats, so steps should be taken to issue them arms licenses.
Chairman of the committee, Raja Khurram Nawaz, emphasized that at the very least, MNAs should be legally allowed to possess weapons. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry added that taxpayers and the business community are the backbone of the economy.
He further argued, “A person paying billions in taxes is not even given this basic facility?” Meanwhile, Khawaja Izharul Hassan pointed out that many MNAs from Karachi have expired licenses.
Chairman of the committee also noted delays in the renewal process of licenses. Ministry of Interior officials responded that if someone applies for renewal after five years, their license will not be renewed. In response, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry argued, “You don’t even renew them after two years.”
Raja Khurram Nawaz concluded by stating that the committee directs that MNAs should, at the very least, be issued arms licenses.
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Interior had previously imposed a ban on issuing all types of arms licenses after complaints emerged regarding the issuance of fake licenses.
