Featured Anti-terrorism Amendment Bill and United Nations Security Council Amendment Bill Passed

[ghazi52]

National Assembly passes anti-terrorism Amendment Bill 2020

July 29, 2020........The National Assembly of Pakistan approved the Anti-Terrorism Act amendment bill on Wednesday tabled by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan while the opposition tore up copies of the agenda.

According to detail, the National Assembly passed “The Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020]” and “The United Nations (Security Council) (Amendment) Bill, 2020” with a majority vote amid sloganeering from the opposition benches. This legislation is related to fulfill certain requirements of the Financial Action Task Force in order to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list.

The legislation is aimed at empowering the federal government to direct authorities in Pakistan to implement various measures, in the Security Council resolutions including the freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban and arms embargo on the entities and individuals, who are designated on the sanctions list of the United Nations.

UN Security Council Resolution 1373 requires member states to implement counter terrorism measures, especially countering the financing of terrorism through their domestic laws. This obligation is implemented in Pakistan through Anti-Pakistan Act, 1997.

Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed said there will be no compromise on accountability and no NRO will be extended to anyone. Taking floor of the National Assembly, he said it is regrettable that the opposition parties want NRO and are doing politics for extending support to an important legislation meant for national interest of the country.

Ruckus was created earlier in the NA as well when Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tried to give clarification following Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif’s allegations.

The foreign minister said nobody will address the house if he is not allowed to speak. The opposition disappears when Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services addresses the NA, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.

Let it be known that Khawaja Asif had lashed out at Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, saying that he has crossed all the limits regarding National Accountability Bureau (NAB) bill.

Speaking in the NA, the PML-N member said the impression was given that opposition parties are trying to create hurdles for NAB law. PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah was illegally booked in drugs case, he went on to say.

Khawaja Asif said history tells that those who make wrong laws, they ultimately fall prey to it. We are only demanding amendments in the laws, he clarified. The PML-N leader further added that the government is setting new example of corruption by giving immunity to its ministers in BRT and Malam Jabba projects.


https://nation.com.pk/29-Jul-2020/national-assembly-passes-anti-terrorism-amendment-bill-2020

 

[HAIDER]

FATF clause comes under NAP (National Action Plan). All money laundering activities should be stopped before next FATF meeting. It is entering in dangerous zone. Pakistani panel failed to answer over 6000 banking transactions, raised by FATF team.

 

[Sabretooth]

Pakistani panel failed to answer over 6000 banking transactions, raised by FATF team.

That is shameful indeed.

 

[ghazi52]

Anti-terrorism, UNSC bills sail through Senate

The bills were presented to the Senate minutes after being passed by the Senate’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice. Photo: File
The Senate on Thursday passed the 'The Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020' and 'The United Nations (Security Council) (Amendment) Bill, 2020', a day after the National Assembly approved the bill with a majority vote.

The bill seeking amendments in the anti-terrorism laws was presented before the Senate by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Senator Murtaza Javed Abbasi. While, 'The United Nations (Security Council) (Amendment) Bill, 2020' was presented in the senate by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.

The bills were presented to the Senate minutes after being passed by the Senate’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while addressing the floor of the House, thanked the Senate members for approving the legislation.

Qureshi said Pakistan had undertaken this legislation in compliance of its obligations to implement the International Court of Justice’s judgment in Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

Speaking about the International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Ordinance, 2020, the foreign minister said it was also a step to fulfill Pakistan’s international obligations.

“No concession has been granted to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by making new laws,” he said.

The foreign minister also expressed confidence that after this legislation Pakistan would stay off the FATF’s grey list.

Earlier, the bill was passed by the committee after it met under the chairmanship of Senator Javed Abbasi. During the meeting, the members asked whether the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had set the amendments as a term or was it brought forward due to "loopholes" in the existing laws.

“These are part of the terms of the FATF,” the special secretary of the Foreign Ministry told the senators. He also provided a copy of the FATF demands to the committee members.

The official informed the senators that the FATF and the Asia Pacific group are monitoring the country. He added that the oversight groups believe that there is a need to change the domestic laws of the country.

On Wednesday, The National Assembly had passed both the bills amid sloganeering and strong protest from the opposition members.

This legislation is related to fulfil certain requirements of the FATF to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list. The legislation is aimed at empowering the federal government to direct authorities in Pakistan to implement various measures in the Security Council resolutions including the freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban and arms embargo on the entities and individuals, who are designated on the sanctions list of the United Nations.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1373 requires member states to implement counter-terrorism measures, especially countering the financing of terrorism through their domestic laws. This obligation is implemented in Pakistan through Anti-Pakistan Act, 1997.

 

[Enigma SIG]

FATF clause comes under NAP (National Action Plan). All money laundering activities should be stopped before next FATF meeting. It is entering in dangerous zone. Pakistani panel failed to answer over 6000 banking transactions, raised by FATF team.

All benami transactions from PPP and PML-N trying their best to get all of the money that they can out of the country before the hammer falls. That is why all the ruckus in the parliament on what was supposed to be a bill for national interest. All these two parties know about is personal common interest.