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ISLAMABAD: Opposition members of the National Assembly Wednesday staged a walkout from the house in protest against blocking of computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of Pakhtuns and disappearance of their party workers.

The opposition members of the National Assembly and Senate also staged a sit-in in front the Parliament House against the blocking of CNICs and urged the government to resolve this issue immediately.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah while speaking on the floor of the house said, ‘Extrajudicial kidnapping’ of his three party workers is a violation of the Constitution. He said that he has no objection on detention of the workers but he objects to their forced abductions. He said that under the Constitution, any arrested person is to be presented before the magistrate within 24 hours.

He said that party’s workers were kidnapped but the PML-N government did not tell their whereabouts so far despite passage of five days. Today, the Constitution of Pakistan is being challenged but the government is not protecting it, he said.

He said that the missing persons of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) should also be presented in the court.

Today the members are protesting in front of the Parliament House for the rights of Pakhtuns, said the opposition leader. He said that CNICs of many Pakhtuns are blocked but in this regard, the Interior Ministry is not taking any measure.

“We will continue protest on these issues unless the government gives insurance to resolve them in the House,” he said.

Sahabzada Tariq Ullah of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said that CNICs of 300,000 people of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Fata have been blocked but the Interior Ministry is not taking any action about it.

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Saddiq said that Interior Ministry has written a letter to the law Ministry to settle the issue of blockage of CNICs.

Sheikh Salahuddin of MQM also criticised the government over 150 missing workers of his party, three persons of PPP and blockage of CNICs of Pakhtuns.

Dr Imran Khattak of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also strongly condemned the blocking of the CNICs of Pakhtuns.

Afterward, the opposition members staged a walkout from the House in protest against the government over these issues.

Responding to the opposition members, State Minister for Interior Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman informed the House that maintaining law and order in Sindh is the sole responsibility of the provincial government. He said that two persons of PPPP went missing from Sindh while one person went missing from Islamabad. He said Sindh Rangers also informed that these two persons were not picked up by them and they were also making efforts with the coordination of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for their recovery.

Regarding the person who went missing from Islamabad, he said that FIR has been lodged and the police have been directed for his early recovery.

About the blocked of CNICs, Baligh-ur-Rehman said the ministry had issued notification to Nadra to incorporate recommendations of the parliamentary committee constituted on the matter.

The National Assembly also passed “The Pakistan Council for Science and Technology Bill, 2017.”

The bill moved by Minister for Defence Production & Science and Technology Rana Tanvir Hussain calls for establishment of the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology. The bill has already been passed by the Senate.

The reports of the various standing committees of the National Assembly and the Second Quarterly Report of the Board of Directors of the State Bank of Pakistan on the state of Pakistan’s Economy for the year 2016-17 were also presented in the House.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Khalida Mansoor and others regarding issuance of a letter by the AGPR to the government servants, on their retirement, to pay amounts of loans even if they have not obtained any such loan, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said that AGPR has informed that no such letter has been issued in this regard. But he said if there is any proof of such letters, strict action will be taken against the authorities concerned.