ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed Thursday that Nadra Data revealed that a CNIC was issued to Muhammad Wali (Mullah Mansoor).

“Nadra has conducted a departmental inquiry to unearth its officials’ involvement in issuance of a fake CNIC to Mullah Mansoor Akhtar with the name of Muhammad Wali s/o Shah Muhammad. As per recommendations, Deputy Assistant Director, Karachi, Faisaluddin was removed from service as major penalty,” Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said.

During the question-hour, in response to a question by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar regarding a Pakistani CNIC and passport recovered from Mullah Mansoor, a Taliban leader, who was killed in a drone attack in Balochistan, the minister said the media had reported that Mullah Mansoor was holding Pakistani passport and CNIC. Nadra was provided the CNIC number by law enforcement agency to verify the data against this number. He said the FIA registered a case, which was pending trial in the court. Six persons were held while two, including a woman, were absconding and all the accused had been shifted to District Jail, Quetta.

Senators protested when the House was told that no information had been received so far regarding the amount of financial assistance received by the government from foreign countries for controlling terrorism in Pakistan since 2013. The JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq had sought information and also indicating the names of the countries, which provided assistance and the expenditure incurred by the government on controlling terrorism.

In the written answer, it was mentioned that reply was not received. However, the Ministry of Interior had transferred this question to the Ministry of Finance that had not accepted it so far. MQM Senator Tahir Hussain mashhadi said that an attempt was being made to not provide answer to this question. Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who was chairing the session, said that it was an important question; the answer must come of it.

Senator Siraj said that while US President Trump was hurling threats at Pakistan and referring to the financial assistance given to Pakistan, the senators had no idea about the assistance given so far to Pakistan. “It appears [that] the government is not willing to share certain things with the House,” he said. Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said that the answer would be shared with the House, when received.

A part of question asked by Senator Farhatullah Babar in writing on February 21 this year was answered once, while the two other parts continued to be unanswered during several sittings in the past.

He had sought details of pensions and other privileges given to the armed forces’ personnel of the rank of major general and above at the time of their retirement. He rose to ask from which departments and officials, the Ministry of Defence was collecting information and exactly when would he get answer to his questions.

The senator said that the portion relating to pension was provided, but the remaining was yet to be answered. The House was informed that the Ministry of Defence had forwarded the question for answer and had also sent reminder in this connection already.

BNP-Mengal Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldeni stood up to complain that information regarding officers was often shared quickly, but this was not the case relating to the military officers.

Minister Jam Kamal agreed to the senator and assured the House that the ministry would pursue the matter. The Senate was also informed that during the last five years, 54,4105 Pakistanis had been sent home from various countries, and majority of them was from Saudi Arabia ie 64,689 persons.

Replying to question by Senator karim Ahmad Khawaja of PPP, Minister for Defence Khurram Dastgir, in a written answer said that officer of the rank of brigadier would get commutation worth Rs5.65 million and Rs80,500 monthly pension while a colonel Rs5.58 million commutation and Rs68,783 pension, a major Rs5.48 million commutation and Rs59,049 pension and a captain Rs5.075 million commutation and Rs51,372 pension.

As regards monetary benefits, the minister said special additional pension in lieu of orderly allowance at the rate of Rs12,000 per month was admissible to brigadiers vide Finance Division (Regulation Wing) letter No1 (3) Imp/2015, July 07, 2015.