Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said on Tuesday that the government was ready to hold a debate on the grant of citizenship to Afghan and Bihari refugees born in the country.

She was speaking in response to questions raised on the issue by several opposition lawmakers.

Mazari urged the opposition to bring forward suggestions and proposals for the resolution of the issue, saying that it was an important matter and the country could not afford to linger on without a resolution. She said if the opposition wanted an amendment to the Citizenship Act, the government was ready to move forward with consensus.

Mazari stressed that the government had started the data collection process to ascertain the number of refugees, including those yet to be registered as well as illegal immigrants. She said the data would be collected with the assistance of United Nation agencies and it would be shared with the National Assembly. “This is the first time the government has started the collection of data, while governments in the past never touched this important issue,” Mazari said, adding that a policy regarding the future status of refugees and immigrants would be devised after consultation with opposition parties. The minister said this matter involved a lot of legal, political and humanitarian obligations which would be considered before taking a final decision. The minister also said the issue of Biharis was different from that of Afghan refugees. She agreed with a suggestion put forth by BNP-M leader Akhtar Mengal to hold a debate on the issue in the National Assembly, rather than in a standing committee.

Earlier, opposition lawmakers reiterated their reservation over the grant of citizenship to Afghan refugees and illegal immigrants.

Through a call attention notice, MNA Hina Rabbani Khar questioned how could the Prime Minister give a statement about grant of citizenship without consulting opposition parties. MNA Nafesa Shah maintained that the PM needed to consult opposition before making any policy statement to the effect, keeping in view the situation of Karachi.

She said Karachi gets an influx of immigrants from across the country as a result of problems like terrorism, floods, or unemployment. She said the government referred to the example of the state of Medina, but it should also keep in mind that the present-day state of Saudi Arabia was not in favour of giving citizenship rights to migrant workers, including those from Pakistan.

To another call attention notice, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said a task force headed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor was working to remove bottlenecks and accelerate the process of merger of erstwhile FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said tribal agencies had been re-designated as districts and sub divisions of KP. Similarly, he said, the posts of political agents and assistant political agents have been re-designated as deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners. The minister said the federal government would provide resources for development of these tribal districts.

The House also resumed discussion on the Finance Supplementary (Amendment) Bill of 2018.

MNA Syed Naveed Qamar (of Pakistan Peoples Party) said that the PTI government had promised not to overburden common people and yet it increased the price of gas, which will have an inflationary impact.

In response, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said gas price had only been increased by 10 percent for the lowest slab consumers. The 143 percent increase in the tarriff was meant only for higher slab consumers, he said, adding that the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) had run the affairs of the state like the East India Company (the British firm that set the foundation for colonisation of Indian subcontinent by the British crown in the 18th century).

Chaudhry severely criticised the policies of former government, and said that those policies were responsible for burdening the country with heavy loans.

The minister underscored that the Punjab government required eight billion rupees annually to run PML-N’s Metro Bus projects.

“Ishaq Dar and company are liable for the deteriorating economic situation of the country,” he said, adding that ‘financial aid is the only option we are left with after what the last two governments did to the economy’. Those denouncing this last option should tell us if they have a way out, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the minister agreed with Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif’s suggestion that a charter of economy should be signed as a way forward. Further, challenging the PML-N, Chaudhry claimed ‘our one-month long performance would be equal to the year-long performance of the former government.”

Published in Daily Times, September 26^th 2018.