Military consultants for Pak parliamentarians

Retired armed forces officials are for the first time being recruited to serve as advisers to the Pakistani Senate's standing committee.

Retired armed forces officials are for the first time being recruited to serve as "honorary consultants" and advisers to the Pakistani Senate's standing committee on defence and defence production.

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Air Marshal (retd) Khursheed Anwar Mirza, who served as the Civil Aviation Authority director general during Zia-ul Haq's regime, has been made consultant to the Senate body on defence. He attended his first meeting on May 3, the Daily Times newspaper said.

The Senate committee on defence headed by Nisar Memon is the first body of parliament with a retired armed forces official as consultant.

It is not clear who authorised the appointment or how long the retired air marshal would serve.

PPPP Senator Rukhsana Zubari, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Senator Khursheed Ahmed and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi endorsed the hiring of military men as consultants in the defence committee's last meeting held on May 3.

They said retired officers were being recruited because legislators did not have the technical expertise required to fully understand the country's defence, military and foreign office issues.

Consultants will also be hired from the Pakistan army, navy and other departments concerned, after the hiring quota from the air Force is fulfilled.