ISLAMABAD, Jun 21 (APP):Caretaker Minister for Interior, Azam Khan on Thursday said
Zulfi Bukhari, a close friend of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan was granted one time
permission to travel Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
“I viewed a file of Zulfi Bukhari, granted him permission for
six days for travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umra. I also wrote a
note that he must come back,” the Minister said this while briefing
the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control which
was chaired by Senator Rehman Malik.
His name was placed on blacklist in absence of a cabinet
committee so that he would not leave the country, Azam said.
Azam Khan said Bukhari had asked for a one-time permission to
travel abroad and submitted an affidavit stating that he would return.
Following a request of Zulfi Bukhari, he was granted one time permission
to leave the country.
Azam Khan also rejected the speculations that Imran Khan had
phoned him to remove Bukhari’s name from the blacklist.
Zulfi Bukhari has been facing offshore companies cases in National Accountability
Bureau (NAB).
Earlier, Rehman Malik welcomed the caretaker Minister in the
meeting and constituted a sub-committee on issue of Zulfi Bukhari which
would be headed by Senator Rana Maqbool. The sub-committee has been
asked to examine the matter in collaboration Ministry of Interior
and submit a report.
Rehman Malik said, “Zulfi Bukhari’s name was not included in
Exit Control List (ECL) while blacklist has no lawful importance. The
Ministry of Interior should explain law on blacklist and then
start its implementation.
The Senate Committee was also attended by Senators Muhammad Javed Abbasi and Rana Maqbool Ahmad, and senior officials of Ministries of Interior and Law and Justice, representatives of Motorway and National Highway Police and District Administration.
The meeting was also informed that in order to control
selling of sub-standard food, Islamabad Food Authority would be
established for which budget has been earmarked in Public Sector
Development Programme (PSDP).
Rehman Malik asked the district administration what mechanism
was being followed to control selling of sub-standard milk and meat
in Capital.
Senator Malik said illegal housing societies were minting money
from poor people through different illegal means and allottees were not
being facilitated as promised.
Senator Malik asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)
to set-up a complaint cell for redressal of affected-allottees of
illegal housing societies.
He asked Chief Commissioner Islamabad to brief the Committee
in detail about housing societies in Islamabad.
Inspector General of Motorway Police, Khalid Mahmood
also briefed the Committee.
Rehman Malik appreciated performance of Motorway police
and said salaries of police should be made more attractive to
control corruption.
Rehman Malik insisted that the mechanism of issuing driving
licenses should be made more strict. He observed that under-age
persons were driving heavy vehicles and making accidents.
He said the traffic system in the country should be brought
at par with international standards.
The meeting also observed that hills in Capital have been
occupied by Afghan refugees and said a grand operation should be
conducted against land grabbers and illegal housing societies.
In a briefing, the Committee was informed that timber mafia was
involved in Margalla Hills fire incident.
The Committee, which took notice on death of three
sisters in Cholistan, censured SSP Rawalpindi and said IG Punjab
or the concerned DPO to appear before the Committee to brief
the matter.
