Senate body issuing notice to IG FC for not attending senator’s call

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedures and Privileges on Thursday accepted apology by the FC sobedar but decided to issue a notice to the FC Balochistan IG for not attending call from Senator Muhammad Usman Kakar and declining to be present at the committee meeting.The committee met here in the Parliament House under the chairperson of Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, in place of Senator Sardar Muhammad Azam Musakhel, who recently passed away.The meeting was attended by Senators Dr Asif Kirmani, Pervaiz Rashid, Dilawer Khan, Khanzada Khan, Mian Raza Rabbani, Brig(R) John Kenneth Williams, Muhammad Usman Kakar, Prof Sajid Mir along with minister in-charged Aviation Mian Muhammad Somro, Secretary Parliamentary Affairs, Secretary Aviation Division, Additional Secretary , Wing Commandant FC Balochistan, Executive Director HEC,VC Peshawar University and other senior officers.The agenda of meeting was a privilege motion moved by Senator Usman Kakar regarding alleged misbehavior with him by the FC sobedar at Qila Saifullah. Wing Commandant Adeel briefed the committee and apologised on the misbehavior by sobedar.The committee was informed that the FC had prepared SOPs. To this, Usman Kakar stated that it was ensured that the SOPs would be prepared with recommendation of the members of the committee. He claimed had the IG attended his call and his behavior been fine, the matter would not have constituted a privilege motion. “The IG had wanted me to talk to his steno instead,” Kakar contended.The additional secretary interior informed the meeting that the ministry had received SOPs, which had been forwarded to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. She said the IG could not attend the meeting owing to his engagements. However, the DIG had tried to contact Senator Kakar and sent messages as well.Senator Raza Rabbani said FC Balochistan IG did not bother to attend the committee meeting despite the committee meeting notice was issued to him, which was now a matter of privilege of the committee while the apology of the subedar was accepted.Senator Raza Rabbani said that “we accept the apology from sobedar FC, but IG Balochistan should have had called to convey that he could not appear in meeting despite having been called thrice.” But he did not do so and gave no reasons as such for his non-attendance.Senator Asif Kirmani asserted that none was above the law and sacred cow. He said the attitude of the IG was condemnable. Senator John Kenneth Williams also decried his attitude while Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the politicians acknowledged supremacy of the institutions and the high-ranking officers should also do so. The panel chairperson insisted that misbehavior with legislators would not be tolerated. The committee decided to issue notice to IG Balochistan FC and sought details of why he could not make it to the meeting earlier.The committee also discussed the matter pertaining to Senator Prof Sajid Mir as he allegedly faced rude attitude of a PIA air hostess while returning from Islamabad. He contended that feeling low sugar, he urged the air hostess for something to eat. However, she rudely claimed that since announcement for landing had been made, she could not leave her seat.Chief pilot aviation, and concerned air hostess and PIA officers apologised on her attitude. Rabbani said why was the PIA chairman not around when the minister in charge was present in the committee meeting. Minister Muhammadmian Soomro said that such attitude was not helpful in commercial interests of the airlines.The committee accepted their apology and demanded that the inquiry report by the PIA on the issue be presented in next meeting and if it were to be found not satisfactory, the committee could take up the matter.

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