ISLAMABAD – The Senate Standing Committee on Interior Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning what it said “highly unethical, immoral and inhumane statement” of a former senior Indian army officer and leader of BJP Maj General (retd) SP Sinha justifying the rapes of Kashmiri women in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
“The committee strongly condemns the highly unethical, immoral and inhumane continued statements of senior Indian leadership and a recent statement of Indian Army officer SP Sinha who is an active member and leader of the Indian ruling party—BJP,” the resolution said moved by chairman of the committee Senator A Rehman Malik
The resolution pointed out that the officer has justified the rape of Muslim Kashmiri women by the Indian troops, which is a tragedy of this century and a “big black mark on the face of the so-called Indian secular” state.
The committee unanimously demands that the government of Pakistan should take up the matter with UN Security Council and register a protest there against the statement, reads the resolution.
Adopts resolution to condemn New Delhi
At the outset, Senator Malik strongly condemned the ongoing brutalities being committed by Indian forces in IOK and the imposition of 108 days long curfew in the valley.
He said that such statements by Indian leadership showed the absolute moral bankruptcy and the United Nations and human rights organizations must take serious notice of the situation in Kashmir.
The chair informed the committee that he had written a letter to the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urging him to file a law suit in International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) under Rome Statute against PM Narendra Modi and his “accomplices for their crimes against humanity and genocide” in IOK.
The meeting took a very serious notice on alleged sexual assault and murder of a five-year old girl Gul Sakina in Pewar area of District Kurram Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The minor girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and found dead in a nearby water pond.
The chair directed the interior secretary and inspector general of police and home secretary KP to take immediate action to trace out the culprits and the motives behind this gruesome incident and submit a detailed report within a week.
The committee expressed its dismay over the alarming increase in the child abuse incidents across the country.
Senator Malik directed the interior secretary to bring a law suggesting more stringent punishment for those who commit such heinous crimes.
The Committee considered the government-sponsored “Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019.” Ministry of Interior briefed the committee on the purposes and objectives of the bill.
The meeting observed that this might cause discrimination, while dealing with different individuals with same crime, one being in the country and other being extradited from abroad. The bill was deferred till a briefing by the secretary law and the attorney general.
Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, the mover, briefed the meeting on the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill.
Keeping in view of the current national, regional and international scenario, the NACTA is gaining wider significance, he said the authority, for this reason, should lay its periodical reports in the parliament to be overseen by the public representatives. He said that NACTA should coordinate with all provincial departments in countering terrorism departments. The Police stations which are the basic units of law enforcement in Pakistan should be given the mission and resources to combat terrorism starting from local level, he said.
The Ministry of Interior opposed the amendments to be made in the NACTA Act, 2013. The chair directed Senator Javed Abbasi to look into the proposed amendments moved by Senator Shaikh and present his suggestions in the next meeting.
The Ministry of Interior briefed the meeting on the Exit Control List (ECL) Policy of the government and the implementation status on the recommendations earlier made by the committee. The chair directed that a detailed report on the implementation status of the recommendations should be presented in next meeting.
The committee directed the director general, Immigration and Passports, that a uniform policy should be adopted for all government officers of BS-19 and above working in ministries, divisions, National Assembly and Senate Secretariat etc. It was proposed that the duration of validity of official passports should be for three years at least.
The Federal Investigation Agency briefed the committee on illegal emigration, human trafficking, and alleged corruption in Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) and offices of the Protector of Emigrants in Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore, and Mardan respectively.
Senator Rehman Malik pointed out that it was important to rescue 7000 destitute who were trapped in Turkey. He directed that stringent actions should be taken against human traffickers who were not only putting the lives of many innocents in danger but also brining a bad name to the country. He also directed that officials from National Database & Registration authority (NADRA) and Passport Office should be sent to the respective countries for the data and documentation of destitute that could be brought back to Pakistan safely.
The FIA assured the meeting that it was doing its best to bring back all illegal immigrants detained at various ports. The FIA is also in the process of intelligence sharing to curb human trafficking and illegal emigration. The chair directed the Ministry of Interior to provide additional budget to FIA to equip it with modern technology for effective border management system.
The committee also considered the suo motu notice taken by the chair regarding “showing derogatory, immoral and defamatory contents and vulgar video clips through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Tiktok, YouTube and social media networking sites.
The meeting took strict exception to the defamation campaigns being run on social media against some senators and directed FIA to seek out the source and ensure conviction.
