Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Senator A Rehman Malik strongly condemned the “state sponsored terrorist act” by Indian security forces in Srinagar, Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) wherein four innocent Kashmiris were martyred on Monday.

He said that Indian forces’ brutalities against innocent Kashmiris have been increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged the government to demand from United Nations Organisation secretary general to take notice of the ongoing unprecedented human rights violations in IHK. The committee offered Fateha for the martyrs of Kashmir, former Member of National Assembly Syed Ali Raza Abidi and three years’ innocent girl Faryal who was killed after being raped in Havelian.

The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior was held under the chairmanship of Rehman Malik at the Parliament House and was attended by Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Mian Muhammad Ateeq Sheikh, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen and Haji Momin Khan Afridi.

The meeting was also attended by Senator Raza Rabbani as mover of the Bill and by interior special secretary, officials from Capital Development Authority, Interior Ministry, Law & Justice Ministry, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police and others.

The committee approved The Exit from Pakistan Amendment Bill, 2018.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior considered, discussed and approved The Exit from Pakistan Amendment Bill ’18 moved by Raza Rabbani. Rehman Malik said that the committee had already proposed necessary amendments in Exit Control List (ECL) Act in its meeting in October, 2018.

He said that this is a fundamental right of the accused to be informed in advance at least 24 hours before including them in ECL. The Bill was unanimously passed by the Committee.

Malik said that just yesterday he has taken serious notice of the discrimination being done in placement of persons including country’s political leadership on ECL. He said that the government has placed the names of people who are under inquiry on ECL while some names are of those who have cases registered against them.

He said it was ironic that some of these who are under investigation by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA have not been placed on ECL. He asked the Ministry of Interior as to why it was so and what was the criteria to make such discriminations. He has questioned that some persons under inquiry/investigation are placed on ECL but others under investigation in NAB or FIA are not placed on ECL. He directed that a list of all politicians and others under inquiry/investigation in NAB and FIA may be submitted to the committee.

Meanwhile, the Committee expressed immense grief and shock over the heartbreaking incident wherein a three-year-old minor girl namely Faryal was murdered after rape in village of Kayla, Havelian. The chairman directed KP police to arrest the culprits and report the committee within seven days.

Senator Ateeq Sheikh briefed the committee on how mobiles phones were being stolen from the dry port of Faisalabad and were being replaced with dummies. The chairman of the committee asked the Interior Ministry to submit a report on how illegal phones were being imported in the country. He asked how those captured mobiles went missing and who are responsible for it and why no action has been taken against the responsible officials.

The committee also considered the point of public importance regarding lodging of an illegal First Information Report against sitting Senator Shamim Afridi which was raised by Senator M Javed Abbasi. Deputy Inspector General of Kohat, Muhammad Ejaz Khan briefed the committee and said that it is a family dispute wherein the opponents’ party have mentioned Shamim Afirdi in the application. However, the police has been investigating his presence on the spot. Malik said that as per his information, Afridi was not present at the spot during the clash.

Malik informed the committee that he had taken suo moto notice and has sought a progress report on the sudden devaluation of Pakistani rupee twice ie on October 9 and once again on November 30 as it has adversely affected the economy of the country.

He said that in this regard, FIA was directed to investigate on the guidelines provided in its detailed letter of Wednesday to identify that there is a cartel operating in the country against the economy and business interest of Pakistan. He also dismissed the impressions that taking notice of the devaluation of Pakistani rupee is the subject of Senate Standing Committee on Finance alone adding that FIA has the responsibility to regulate and implement Foreign Exchange Act so it falls under Senate Standing Committee on Interior also.

Published in Daily Times, January 1^st 2019.