KABUL - Some parliamentarians are carrying guns to sessions after the special election court disqualified 62 lawmakers in the 349-seat parliament. The special election tribunal was created to probe into allegations of fraud during last year's parliamentary elections. The court found fraud in many provinces and suggested that 62 lawmakers should vacate their seats.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi confirmed some lawmakers were armed at Parliament.

Without going into detail, Ibrahimi said the house administrative department and security officials were trying to prevent MPs from illegally carrying arms into Parliament.
A lawmaker from northern Badakhshan province, Amanullah Paiman, also confirmed Ibrahimi's statement. He suggested such lawmakers should be dealt with according to the law.
"We also have weapons, but we don't bring them into the house. We only wear waistcoats while sitting in the house," he said.

Others lawmakers also confirmed that some of their colleagues who might be disqualified in the wake of the court's verdict carried weapons into parliament.