05 June 2004	Saturday	16 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, June 4: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Dr Sher Afgan questioned the legality of Nishan-i-Pakistan awards given to foreign dignitaries, including heads of governments, over the past 44 years.

Speaking on a point of order during Question Hour in the National Assembly here on Friday, the MNA from Mianwali referred to an article of the constitution and said that no foreigner could be given any Pakistani civil award.

Dr Afgan raised the point when in a written reply to a question of Hakim Qari Gul Rehman of the MMA, the National Assembly was informed by parliamentary secretary for the cabinet division Ali Asjad that so far the Nishan-i-Pakistan award had been given to 75 personalities.

Dr Sher Afgan said according to Article 259(2) of the Constitution, no foreigner could be given any civil award, adding that the National Assembly should be informed if there was any act of the parliament under which these awards were given to foreigners. He read out the article and said it seemed that the awards were given unlawfully.

It all started when the MNA from Hyderabad Prof Khalid Wahab, said the process of finalizing names of recipients of various awards should be made transparent. He said it had been observed that several undeserving people had been given civil awards in the past. He said it was surprising that among 75 recipients of Nishan-i-Pakistan, only one was Pakistani.

The parliamentary secretary told the House that former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had nullified all awards given before 1973. Minority MNA M.P. Bhandara took the floor and asked why the names of those people whose awards had been nullified were given in the answer.