ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: A mundane session of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division turned into a fiery episode as senators openly snubbed the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) deputy director, who walked out in a fit of anger without replying to queries.

Buffed by his abrasiveness, the senators then wasted no time in moving a privilege motion against the deputy director even as his colleagues from the IB apologised on his behalf.

On Thursday, the Senate committee was receiving a presentation by IB officials on Gulberg Housing Society, located in the suburbs of the capital city in Zone-V alongside Islamabad Highway.

The society was established in 2005 and was originally known to many as the Intelligence Bureau Employees Cooperative Housing Society, but received the No Objection Certificate by the Capital Development Authority in 2009.

As the deputy director IB Mr Nasir (who did not give his full name) briefed the committee, he was interrupted by Senator Rubina Khalid of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) who asked, “Who is running this society?”

The official replied: “Please listen to me first.”

However, the committee ignored his response and he was forced to answer: “The Intelligence Bureau is running the scheme for welfare of its officials.”

The deputy director added that Gulberg Housing Society had allocated 38 plots to those officials of the agency who had lost their lives during different covert security operations.

“Thirty-eight officials were given developed plots, and their ranks ranged from constables to directors,” the official informed.

Even though he reiterated that the land would be used for the welfare of agency officials, the senators were not willing to buy the argument and asked the official to submit every detail in writing.

At another point, Senator Rubina enquired: “You have purchased 7,000 kanals in the city. How you are managing such a huge piece of land?”

The bureau’s official replied that all pre-requisites had been fulfilled by the society and everything was done per the book.

This forced another PPP senator to remark: “If you people will do business of housing societies who will look after our security?” The IB official evaded the question, and replied: “You just write down the questions and I will give you the answers later.”

The constant deferring of questions irked Senator Kamil Ali Agha of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) who asked the official to behave and not be curt.

Senator Agha told the official: “Shut up and behave.”

At this moment there was pin drop silence in the hall, and Senator Agha continued with his verbal attack.

“You know who you are talking to, we have been part of appointments of director-generals of the Intelligence Bureau,” he reminded the official.

“Your attitude is very rude,” he insisted.

On the other hand, the deputy director got equally offended and decided not to pay heed to the advice of another IB official seated next to him, who was asking him not to say anything.

Mr Nasir maintained: “I know who has engineered all this and what’s going on and who had asked the National Accountability Bureau to lynch us in a case. We are clean and have nothing to hide and are a registered housing scheme with the registrar cooperative housing schemes.”

However, the IB official did not explain his comments.

Soon after the annoyed official left the committee hall without responding to further questions by the Senate committee members.

Once the official had left the committee hall, the panel on the suggestion of additional secretary cabinet Shahid Ullah Baig said that the behaviour of the official was tantamount to disrespect and a privilege motion should be moved.

Mr Baig’s suggestion was duly considered by the committee panel, and Senator Agha said: “I recommend that the director-general of IB [Akhtar Hussain Gorchani] should be informed about the behaviour of the official.”

The chairman of the Senate committee Senator Kulsoom Parveen approved the recommendation.

Meanwhile, the second IB official who had introduced himself as the staff officer to the director-general of the IB had stayed behind and extended his apology to the members of the committee.

Once the matter was over, Senator Agha remained on the offensive while hearing the matter of the National Police Foundation (NPF) and grilled its managing director.