ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Various opposition members of the National Assembly on Saturday criticized Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal for not providing answers to the questions raised by them in the house regarding the armed forces.

Talking to Dawn, MNAs belonging to the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, expressed their concern over the minister’s inability to acquire information from the agencies concerned about important queries regarding the armed forces.

They said it seemed that either the minister did not dare ask the questions from the relevant agencies or he was being denied the information.

The MNAs said the questions had been pending in the National Assembly for the past several months.

The minister, they said, gave replies to the questions regarding the Pakistan International Airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority or other departments under his ministry, but had not been forthcoming when asked about assets and properties of serving and retired military officers.

They said the questions were of great importance and it was the right of the nation to know about the details of the properties of army officials.

The list of questions provided to the MNAs on Friday contained four questions regarding the armed forces and in reply to all of those the defence minister had written that “the information is being collected from concerned quarters”.

In a question, Farid Ahmed Piracha had sought “the city-wise details of housing schemes launched for the officers of armed forces during last 12 years along with the areas of these schemes, nature of the plots and procedure for allotment.”

The question has been pending for reply since the seventh session of the assembly, which is in its 10th session.

In the second part of the question, the MNA has inquired about “the percentage of quota allocated for the officers of armed forces in the residential schemes of development organizations or other government schemes.”

MNA Shabbir Ahmed Khan has asked the minister to state the number of military officers posted in various government departments on deputation and whether there is any proposal under consideration to repatriate them.

Syed Naveed Qamar of the People’s Party Parliamentarians has sought details of “various grants of land and other emoluments given to the army personnel above the rank of colonel, upon receiving medals of gallantry and the details of servicemen in the category and the land granted to them since Oct 12, 1999.”

MNA Mian Mohammad Aslam from the capital has asked the minister to state reasons for not providing indoor medical facilities to the defence-paid civilians, serving as well as retired personnel, and their families in the defence forces hospitals.

Mian Aslam said that perhaps the minister was afraid that after replying he would have to face several “difficult” supplementary questions.

He said every department and institution was accountable before parliament and army should also be made answerable. “When people are denied basic rights and facilities, they will definitely question the privileges being availed by a section of society,” he said.