ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: The National Assembly standing committee on Northern Areas and States and Frontier Regions on Friday unanimously rejected the Federal Government Levies (Transfer to Balochistan Province) Bill 2004.

The bill was referred to the standing committee by the National Assembly for reconsideration. The committee, which met under the chairmanship of MNA Mohammad Aslam Bodla, had an intense discussion on the proposed bill and was of the view that in order to maintain writ of the federal government and to ensure safe environment for the people living in Fata, the federal government should keep control over the civil armed forces.

The committee also directed the Safron secretary to prepare proposals to strengthen and modernize the levies force in order to achieve the objective of its establishment. The committee would now present its report to the National Assembly in its ensuring session so that the bill might be withdrawn.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Safron Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, MNAs Fiza Junejo, Pir Mohammad Shah Khagga, Gyan Chand Singh, Prof Mushtaq Victor, Dr Syed Ghazi Ghulab Jamal, Dr Syed Javed Hussain Mian, Israrul Ebad Khan, Nabil Ahmad Gabool, Rukai Khanum Soomro, Maulana Abdul Malik, Rubina Saadat Qaim Khani, Secretary Safron and senior officers of the concerned department.