ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry will brief a Senate committee on its arms issuance policy and its plan in this regard next week.

A meeting of the Senate’s standing committee on interior was to be held on Sept 9 but was rescheduled for 16 on the request of the ministry.

The committee will also be briefed by the ministry on the functioning and effectiveness of the National Counter Terrorism Authority, its policy framework and strategy to combat terrorism.

It will discuss the issue of bullet-proofing of vehicles without permission of the competent authority. The issue has been included in the agenda probably after reports of issuance of fake no objection certificates for bullet-proofing of vehicles in collusion with an employee of the ministry.

The steps taken by the government for the security of Chinese official living in the country will also be discussed.

A member told Dawn that the committee could not meet for several weeks because of different reasons. He said current issues, including the sit-ins of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and expenditure incurred on deployment of security forces in and around Islamabad’s “red zone”, might also figure at the meeting.

The committee is headed by Senator Talha Mehmood and its members include Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Rehman Malik, Mir Israrullah Zehri, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Muhammad Hasni, Gul Muhammad Lot, Mukhtiar Ahmad Dhamra, Shahi Syed, Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Begum Najma Hameed, Sardar Ali Khan and Muhammad Yousuf.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is an ex-officio member of the committee but has never attended its meetings. He has been repeatedly criticised for what is said to be his undeclared boycott of the proceedings of the committee.

Published in Dawn, September 10th , 2014