Islamabad: Pakistan’s Parliament has sought enactment of a comprehensive law to regulate the functioning of intelligence and security agencies and to stop practices like extra-judicial killings and detention of persons without charge.
The National Assembly or lower house of Parliament yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a comprehensive law and a framework to regulate the intelligence and security agencies. The resolution, moved by the opposition PML-N, was not opposed by the government.
The House further approved the setting up of an eight-member committee comprising lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches to monitor progress on the issue of “missing persons” or those detained without charge by security agencies.
The House authorised the Speaker to set up the committee in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition. Rights groups have alleged that hundreds of people have been detained by the agencies, particularly in Balochistan, but these charges have been rejected by the government and the security establishment.
The opposition said the resolution was prompted by the plight of families of “missing persons” and the “grave allegations” levelled against security agencies. The resolution demanded that the government should ensure the rule of law and implement without further delay the orders of the Supreme Court and recommendations of an inquiry commission on enforced disappearances. The resolution further called for enactment of legislation to resolve the issue of missing persons.
Such legislation would also be in line with a recommendation made by a commission that had investigated the abduction and murder of journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad last year.
The commission that probed Shahzad’s murder had recommended the adoption of a “comprehensive framework law to regulate the role and functioning of the intelligence and security agencies”.
The commission’s report did not fix responsibility for the killing of Shahzad.
Journalists’ groups alleged that Shahzad was abducted by an intelligence agency after he wrote about the infiltration of the Pakistan Navy by al-Qaeda but the charge was denied by the military.
The National Assembly also resolved that a committee of lawmakers would prepare a report after consulting the families of missing persons and representatives of security agencies and submit it to the House in two months. Speaking in the National Assembly, Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the notorious practice of enforced disappearances started during the regime of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. “These people are Pakistanis and deserve justice according to the law of the land,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday chaired a meeting of top leaders of Pakistan’s ruling coalition to review foreign policy and security-related issues ahead of his address to a joint session of parliament on March 17.
The meeting at the presidency was attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, air force chief Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman and Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, officials said.
The meeting was briefed on foreign policy and security-related issues, the officials said without giving details. Zardari is scheduled to address a joint session of the Senate and National Assembly at a time when the Pakistan People’s Party-led government is conducting a crucial review of its ties with the US.
Pakistan has also stepped up its efforts to play a larger role in the endgame in Afghanistan, including moves to rope in the Taliban in the reconciliation process.
The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Mushahid Hussain Syed, Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jillani and his predecessor Salman Bashir. (PTI)