ISLAMABAD: Several members of the National Assembly (the lower house), including some ministers, have weapons of different kinds in their possession worth millions of rupees, reveals the statement of assets they submitted with the Election Commission of Pakistan and reflected in the official gazette.

Arbab Zakaullah, a legislator from Tharparkar, is among the leading weapon holders, sitting in the 342-member House.

He has as many as 14 weapons of diverse kinds, and these include four shotguns, two pistols, five rifles (MP-5, 7.62mm, GIII A-3) and a revolver-some of these are purchased while others he inherited.

Arbab Zakaullah has licences of all these weapons. Federal Minister for Inter- Provincial Coordination Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani has mentioned 17 weapons in his possession: their cost at the time of purchase, according to him, was Rs0.2 million and presently their value is estimated at Rs0.7 million (these weapons are both: inherited and bought as well).

The minister, however, has not indicated what types of weapons these are.

MNA Syed Amir Ali Shah owns weapons worth Rs0.1 million: their value at the time of purchase and at the time of filing his statement of assets with the ECP remains unchanged. The spouse of the National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza possesses guns and their present value is Rs0.7 million while at the time of their purchase it was Rs1.283 million: while one of his sons also owns weapons worth Rs0.46 million.

Zulfiqar has been home minister, Sindh, who locked horns with MQM and ultimately had to bow out as provincial minister as well as MPA. Fehmida has also submitted details of her husband and son’s weapons in the statement of assets and liabilities besides her own. Nabeel Ahmad Gabol, the MNA from Lyari, also owns arms, valuing Rs0.2 million: what types of these are, is anybody’s guess.

Another MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Sheerazi has 12 licences of weapons; however, he has made no mention of what types of these arms are. 

Another legislator of the lower House of Parliament Rafique Ahmad Jamali from Dadu has a wide variety of weapons, and he has apparently not hidden their details but made no mention of value of these.

Internews