Daily Times

A legislative body of Upper House of Parliament on Friday expressed serious reservations over government measures against Corona virus and demanded formation of taskforce for its control.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik said that committee had already directed to establish isolation centre in all cities and at every airport. He said that the committee 14-points suggestion should be implemented. The committee asserted that a task force must be formed under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, who must personally look at all affairs concerning precautionary measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in Pakistan. The legislators advised that all provincial chief secretaries, provincial health secretaries and heads of health departments should be included in the task force.

The committee also condemned the ongoing massacre of Muslims in India and expressed great grief over the martyrdom of 46 Muslims in Delhi riots and prayed for their departed souls. Rehman Malik said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brutalities are not only limited to the IOK but the streets of Delhi were also stained with the blood of innocent Muslims. He said that it was heartbreaking to see the photographs and videos that activists of the RSS and BJP in mobs with sticks, iron rods and stones roaming freely on the streets of Delhi beating, humiliating and murdering unarmed Muslims. He urged the international community to intervene and stop the ongoing massacre of Muslims in India. He regretted that US President Donald Trump on his visit to India did not take up the issue with the Indian Government.

While considering precautionary and preventative measures being taken by the government to stop the potential spread of Coronavirus in Pakistan, Senator A. Rehman Malik said that a special meeting of the committee was held on 27th February on the issue of Coronavirus when the first two cases had been confirmed in Pakistan. He said that the committee was briefed by Executive Director National Institute of Health, FIA and clear directions were given to them for necessary measures at airports, dry ports and other entry points.

The committee members demanded the government to immediately summon the Special Joint Session of the Parliament to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to control spread and combat this deadly epidemic. Senator Kalsoom Parveen stressed the need to bring back Pakistani students stranded in China and pilgrims stranded on Pak-Iran border adding that no one can stop the entry of citizens to their own country.

Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi demanded of the government to immediately appoint Federal Minister for Health so the government point of view could be presented in the parliament. He said it shows the non-seriousness of the government that in the critical situation when the Coronavirus is confirmed in the country and playing havoc in the world, but we are not having a permanent Health Minister in our country.

The committee also discussed the administrative, financial and legal issues between CDA and MCI. The Committee discussed the implementation status of the recommendations of the Committee on Interior pertaining to administrative, financial and legal issues of CDA and MCI and observed that CDA and MCI have been miserably failed to dissolve their outstanding differences. Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator A. Rehman Malik directed both organizations to implement the recommendation of the committee which have already been sent to the Ministry of Interior. He said that the disputes were affecting efficiency and performance of CDA and MCI and because of which the residents of Islamabad have become ultimate sufferers. He directed that the recommendation of committee should be followed in letter and spirit and a report should be submitted within forty days positively.

Three Bills introduced by Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2019; The Islamabad Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2020; the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were discussed in the Committee. However after the detailed deliberation the committee referred the said Bills to the Ministry of Interior with directions to examine the same with coordination of Ministry of Law and Justice and all other stockholders.