Zulfi Bukhari granted one time permission to travel abroad

ISLAMABAD: 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.