ISLAMABAD: Senate on Wednesday demanded a detailed report regarding the appearance of Islamic State (IS) flags in Islamabad last week.
This is a serious issue and it should not be taken lightly, the senators said during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior. PPP Senator Rehman Malik chaired the meeting. Senator Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamra expressed concern over the security situation in the country, saying that former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar had denied the presence of IS in the country, yet the group’s flag appeared in the federal capital.
He raised the point before the state minister for interior that Daesh flags were seen in Islamabad. The minister responded that FIR had been registered and a special committee had been made to investigate the issue. He mentioned that according to the latest information it was an attention diversion tactic by groups. The chairman remarked that it should not be taken lightly.
Senator Javed Abbasi also brought up a recent news report according to which some members of Parliament were allegedly in contact with terrorist organisations.
Senator Malik commenced the meeting by appreciating the services of defence forces for security Lt Arsalan Alam, the young officer martyred in the Khyber Agency.
He rejected the view of a TV channel that postponement of an in-camera meeting depicted powerlessness of the respective committee. Moreover, he introduced a resolution to condemn atrocities levied on Rohingya Muslims. The resolution necessitated the government to take the matter to UNO through Human Rights Commission. The committee unanimously passed the resolution.
The chairman praised the Islamabad Capital Territory Shops Business and Industrial Establishments (Security) (Amendment) Bill, 2017. He mentioned that CCTV cameras for security and maintaining records of vicinity were important. The mover of the bill, Senator Azam Khan Swati mentioned that community should also stand up to secure itself from scourge of crime since all work could not be done by the government. He added that public service required public safety and CCTV was need of the day.
Senator Javed Abbasi added points to the bill that security was not related to individual but the state. The bill was not applicable to small entrepreneurs; it should have been non-cognizable instead of cognizable and the fine should be readjusted.
Senator Dhamrah pointed out that magistrate involvement was necessary instead of direct police involvement. Senator Shahi Syed criticized the bill that provision of security was state responsibility and installation of CCTV cameras was not affordable by the poor. Minister of State Talal Chaudhry endorsed the bill and added that CCTV regulations were required for placing cameras and monitoring them. Furthermore, on request of the chairman, he conceded to brief the committee on concept of safe-cities in next meeting. The bill stood approved from the committee.
The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by mover Senator Karim Khawaja, was passed by the committee where the chairman remarked that attempted suicide was a disease. This claim was endorsed by psychiatrists present in the committee who mentioned that attempted suicide was different from consummated suicide in behaviour. No alternative to this claim was found in the Shariah. Senator Rubina Khalid and Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja spoke in favour of the bill.
The Prevention of Witchcraft Bill, 2017 and The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 were deferred due to absence of the mover. The Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill, 2017 and The Child Marriage Restrain (Amendment) Bill, 2017 moved by Senator Sehar Kamran were referred to other committee for consideration and the Council of Islamic Ideology for further deliberation.
Senator Rubina Khalid, the mover of The Criminal Laws (Amendment) (Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons) Bill, 2017 was welcomed by the committee and supported by Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi. Senator Rubina Khalid opened her remarks that reference to man or woman had left little space for transgender to come in ambit of law.
They were denied their fundamental rights. The chairman decided to make a sub-committee on the issue.
The meeting was attended by Senator Shahi Syed, Senator Saleh Shah, Senator Abbasi, Senator Muhammad Ali Saif, Senator Dhamrah, Senator Swati, Senator Khawaja, Senator Sehar Kamran and Senator Rubina.
Published in Daily Times, September 28th 2017.
