National Assembly approves Interior Ministry’s Rs74.35b demands for grants

The National Assembly on Monday approved four demands for grants worth Rs74.35 billion of the Ministry of Interior, rejecting all cut motions forwarded by the Opposition, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The National Assembly continued debate on the demands for grants during its session with Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the chair.

The House took up four demands for grants related to the Ministry of Interior for the next financial year. These were moved by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Opposition members participated in the discussion on the cut motions moved against these demands for grants. However, the lawmakers granted approval rejecting all 123 cut motions introduced by the Opposition.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has defended the performance of the Interior Ministry, telling the National Assembly that Pakistan's fight against terrorism requires close cooperation between the federation and the provinces, as well as unified political support for the country's security forces. 

Speaking during a debate in the lower house of parliament, Chaudhry said neither the federal government nor any province could win the war against terrorism alone. He urged political parties to stand behind the country's security institutions and adopt a common national narrative against militant threats. He said, 'We are also satisfied with the minister of interior and the ministry of interior.'

The minister said institutions operating under the Interior Ministry had made significant sacrifices over the past year, with 501 personnel laying down their lives in the line of duty. He added that under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's administration, all departments of the ministry were functioning effectively and playing an active role in addressing national security challenges.

Highlighting diplomatic achievements, Chaudhry said Pakistan had signed international agreements with 70 countries during the past year. He noted that these agreements had directly benefited Pakistani passport holders by improving international cooperation and facilitation.

Taking aim at opposition lawmakers, the minister said some critics publicly attacked the interior minister during the day but later sought meetings with him in the evening. He also referred to former minister Shiekh Rasheed Ahmad, saying the ministry had inherited significant challenges from the past.

Discussing anti-narcotics operations, Chaudhry said the Anti-Narcotics Force currently had 3,192 personnel. Despite limited manpower, the force had seized narcotics and prohibited goods worth an estimated 20 billion dollars during the past year. He added that, due to government efforts, no narcotics had been smuggled through Hajj flights over the past two years.

The minister announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved the recruitment of an additional 500 personnel for the Anti-Narcotics Force to strengthen its operational capacity.

Addressing concerns about the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Chaudhry acknowledged that some individuals within the organisation had been involved in wrongdoing. He said around 250 officers and officials had been removed from service because of criminal activities. He further noted that the country's cybercrime wing was operating with only 481 employees despite growing challenges in the digital sphere.

The minister also praised the Sindh government for launching operations against criminal gangs operating in riverine areas, commonly known as the katcha belt.

On the issue of bulletproof vehicles raised by the defence minister in the house, Talal Chaudhry said the government maintained a strict policy governing their use. He explained that permissions were granted only after thorough scrutiny and that the ministry maintained a complete record of all authorised vehicles. He added that holders of bulletproof vehicles could not sell them privately and were required to return them to the Interior Ministry. The minister said he was prepared to provide detailed information regarding the issuance of no-objection certificates for such vehicles and the reasons behind them.

National Food Security

Three demands for grants worth over Rs33.70 billion of National Food Security were also presented in the National Assembly for approval.

The Opposition members quickly submitted a motion containing 112 cuts in the National Food Security’s budget, triggering a debate on the cut motions.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar urged opposition lawmakers to actively participate in parliamentary committees and the legislative process instead of merely criticizing the government.

Speaking in the National Assembly, he said representatives of the Ministry of Law and Justice had repeatedly requested members to attend meetings, but some lawmakers had chosen not to participate.

Tarar also informed the House that the government had introduced a comprehensive package of around 100 amendments to criminal laws, which is currently under consideration by the relevant standing committee.

He urged lawmakers to engage in committee deliberations and contribute to legislative reforms.

He said the government was still awaiting feedback from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on the proposed amendments, which he termed non-political in nature.

He stressed that strengthening the rule of law requires practical participation in legislative work rather than speeches alone.

Referring to judicial matters, the minister said court proceedings and convictions are decided by the judiciary and not by the government, adding that anyone with objections to convictions could seek relief through the appellate process.

Reporter Rozina Ali