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ISLAMABAD: None other than the ruling PPPs own senior legislators Mian Raza Rabbani and Dr Babar Awan blamed the state and government on Friday for its failure to thrash out a counter-terrorism strategy, as Interior Minister Rehman Malik alleged parliament had failed to enact vital legislation to help curb the menace.
The veteran senators billed the ban on bike riding in Karachi and Quetta illegal and unconstitutional, and questioned if it was the only suitable option to fight terrorism and if it would help bring down the wave of killings in Karachi. Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari presided over the Senate proceedings on Friday.
The interior minister tried to justify it by saying they had intelligence information that terrorists could strike at the two separate mourning processions to be taken out in the port city on Friday using motorbikes and that he had contacted the prime minister in this regard after consulting the stakeholders.
Rehman Malik minced no words in alleging that the government could effectively combat Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Zaliman (Taliban) through effective legislation but despite his continuous pleading, parliament failed to do so for the last three years, as the existing laws had flaws in favour of terrorists. In this context, he cited his initiatives of amending the Anti-Terrorist Act and PPC, creation of PECO. It stands for the Prevention and Control of Cyber Crimes Ordinance.
He also referred to Malik Ishaq, involved in the killing of over 100 people, who was released in the Punjab a few months back.
In view of the poor attendance of members in the House, it was unanimously decided that the interior minister would now wind up the debate on the motion next week. The Senate witnessed a heated bout of arguments between Rehman Malik and Rabbani.
Malik, justifying the ban on bike riding, pointed out that 438 bike-related explosive devices were used last year while 426 till to date this year.
Rabbani reacted strongly when the interior minister contended that as the judiciarys wisdom could not be questioned, the wisdom of the government should also not be questioned.
The minister has talked about three dangerous trends that no one can challenge the wisdom of the government and that parliament has failed and that the western countries have curbed terrorism with legislation. I say the government is answerable to parliament. The parliament has not failed, the draft legislation was flawed and the West has successfully combated terrorism due to an effective counter-terror strategy, he noted.
On this, Malik questioned had Rabbani brought any counter-terrorism bill duringthis period, if his draft was flawed. In reply, the PPP senator from Karachi said the House standing committee was working on the bill, but due to lack of interest by the Ministry of Interior, it was left undone. The minister denied his ministry had lost interest in the proposed law.
Babar Awan contended that the Karachi issue would have to be tackled above politics and alleged all the briefings being held on the subject were essentially political in nature. The Karachi issue is not being taken as a national issue, he noted.
He charged parliament had held so many debates and discussions on the issue and thousands of were announced on the floor of the Senate but the results were before the nation. He also talked of interior about the ministers massive media talk, briefing and news conferences but the results of the government measures could not produce the desired results.
Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is the presidential spokesperson, wanted to know on which executive authoritys order so many convicts were set free on parole. He called for sharing identity of the executive authority.
About Karachi, he said one of the reasons of violence was that there was no protection for the eyewitnesses and noted due to this, six eyewitnesses of Geo reporter Wali Khan Babars murder were eliminated. He called for a Witness Protection Law and said ATA needed to be reviewed, as in its present shape, the law was not at all effective.
Farhatullah Babar said it was not his concern that bike riding was banned and then this was held in abeyance by the Sindh High Court, but it was his concern that according to newspaper reports, a petition against the ban was presented to the SHC chief justice at the Sindh High Court Bar Association dinner and the order was passed against the ban on riding there and then.
PML-Qs Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail from Balochistan welcomed the ban on bike riding and said bulk of lawlessness (98 percent) was being carried out by using bikes. He said the ban should remain in place during Muharramul Harram, as it were the people of his province, who were dying and suffering due to target killings and other acts of terrorism.
Shifting the focus, Senator Mohsin Leghari proposed to the House to pass a condemnation resolution against the Israeli aggression on Palestinians.
APP adds: Meanwhile, giving a policy statement in the National Assembly session here at the Parliament House, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that intelligence reports had suggested that a third force was active to destabilise the government and mar the democratic system by creating law and order situation. This is a very important national concern and I want to share with the House that there was a plot to use motorcycle bombs today (Friday). I took the prime minister into confidence and also sought approval from the Sindh chief minister in order to thwart the designs. I had issued the directive under Article 148, he said.
He said that 96 motorcycle-based blasts had occurred only in Karachi. He added that during the incumbent year, 438 motorcycle-bombs had exploded across the country while mobile phone SIMs had been used by terrorists as detonators in the blasts.
Keeping in view the intelligence reports, I took the decision to ban motorcycles in Karachi and Quetta. I have taken this decision and will keep taking such measures until the law and order situation improves as the Supreme Court questions me why I did not take punitive measures to curb the violence, he asserted.
The minister said that he had introduced the anti-terrorism bill in the Senate some three years back but it was still pending with the Upper House due to a lack of interest of the lawmakers. He said he had also introduced two more bills in parliament to plug the legal lacunae but to no avail. He said the terrorists were being released by the courts on bail due to the legal flaws.
I request my fellow parliamentarians please give us amendments, give us law, he added.
Earlier, Shaikh Salahuddin of the MQM, on a point of order, asked the interior minister to inform the House why had he had banned the use of motorcycles in Karachi. He said that this step had led to concerns in Karachi while the people were already facing a law and order situation in the port city.
Abdul Qadir Baloch of the PML-N opposed the decision to ban motorcycles in Quetta and said that motorbikes facilitate the poor and banning it would badly affect the people at large.
Parliament has failed in curbing terrorism: Malik - thenews.com.pk
The veteran senators billed the ban on bike riding in Karachi and Quetta illegal and unconstitutional, and questioned if it was the only suitable option to fight terrorism and if it would help bring down the wave of killings in Karachi. Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari presided over the Senate proceedings on Friday.
The interior minister tried to justify it by saying they had intelligence information that terrorists could strike at the two separate mourning processions to be taken out in the port city on Friday using motorbikes and that he had contacted the prime minister in this regard after consulting the stakeholders.
Rehman Malik minced no words in alleging that the government could effectively combat Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Zaliman (Taliban) through effective legislation but despite his continuous pleading, parliament failed to do so for the last three years, as the existing laws had flaws in favour of terrorists. In this context, he cited his initiatives of amending the Anti-Terrorist Act and PPC, creation of PECO. It stands for the Prevention and Control of Cyber Crimes Ordinance.
He also referred to Malik Ishaq, involved in the killing of over 100 people, who was released in the Punjab a few months back.
In view of the poor attendance of members in the House, it was unanimously decided that the interior minister would now wind up the debate on the motion next week. The Senate witnessed a heated bout of arguments between Rehman Malik and Rabbani.
Malik, justifying the ban on bike riding, pointed out that 438 bike-related explosive devices were used last year while 426 till to date this year.
Rabbani reacted strongly when the interior minister contended that as the judiciarys wisdom could not be questioned, the wisdom of the government should also not be questioned.
The minister has talked about three dangerous trends that no one can challenge the wisdom of the government and that parliament has failed and that the western countries have curbed terrorism with legislation. I say the government is answerable to parliament. The parliament has not failed, the draft legislation was flawed and the West has successfully combated terrorism due to an effective counter-terror strategy, he noted.
On this, Malik questioned had Rabbani brought any counter-terrorism bill duringthis period, if his draft was flawed. In reply, the PPP senator from Karachi said the House standing committee was working on the bill, but due to lack of interest by the Ministry of Interior, it was left undone. The minister denied his ministry had lost interest in the proposed law.
Babar Awan contended that the Karachi issue would have to be tackled above politics and alleged all the briefings being held on the subject were essentially political in nature. The Karachi issue is not being taken as a national issue, he noted.
He charged parliament had held so many debates and discussions on the issue and thousands of were announced on the floor of the Senate but the results were before the nation. He also talked of interior about the ministers massive media talk, briefing and news conferences but the results of the government measures could not produce the desired results.
Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is the presidential spokesperson, wanted to know on which executive authoritys order so many convicts were set free on parole. He called for sharing identity of the executive authority.
About Karachi, he said one of the reasons of violence was that there was no protection for the eyewitnesses and noted due to this, six eyewitnesses of Geo reporter Wali Khan Babars murder were eliminated. He called for a Witness Protection Law and said ATA needed to be reviewed, as in its present shape, the law was not at all effective.
Farhatullah Babar said it was not his concern that bike riding was banned and then this was held in abeyance by the Sindh High Court, but it was his concern that according to newspaper reports, a petition against the ban was presented to the SHC chief justice at the Sindh High Court Bar Association dinner and the order was passed against the ban on riding there and then.
PML-Qs Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail from Balochistan welcomed the ban on bike riding and said bulk of lawlessness (98 percent) was being carried out by using bikes. He said the ban should remain in place during Muharramul Harram, as it were the people of his province, who were dying and suffering due to target killings and other acts of terrorism.
Shifting the focus, Senator Mohsin Leghari proposed to the House to pass a condemnation resolution against the Israeli aggression on Palestinians.
APP adds: Meanwhile, giving a policy statement in the National Assembly session here at the Parliament House, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that intelligence reports had suggested that a third force was active to destabilise the government and mar the democratic system by creating law and order situation. This is a very important national concern and I want to share with the House that there was a plot to use motorcycle bombs today (Friday). I took the prime minister into confidence and also sought approval from the Sindh chief minister in order to thwart the designs. I had issued the directive under Article 148, he said.
He said that 96 motorcycle-based blasts had occurred only in Karachi. He added that during the incumbent year, 438 motorcycle-bombs had exploded across the country while mobile phone SIMs had been used by terrorists as detonators in the blasts.
Keeping in view the intelligence reports, I took the decision to ban motorcycles in Karachi and Quetta. I have taken this decision and will keep taking such measures until the law and order situation improves as the Supreme Court questions me why I did not take punitive measures to curb the violence, he asserted.
The minister said that he had introduced the anti-terrorism bill in the Senate some three years back but it was still pending with the Upper House due to a lack of interest of the lawmakers. He said he had also introduced two more bills in parliament to plug the legal lacunae but to no avail. He said the terrorists were being released by the courts on bail due to the legal flaws.
I request my fellow parliamentarians please give us amendments, give us law, he added.
Earlier, Shaikh Salahuddin of the MQM, on a point of order, asked the interior minister to inform the House why had he had banned the use of motorcycles in Karachi. He said that this step had led to concerns in Karachi while the people were already facing a law and order situation in the port city.
Abdul Qadir Baloch of the PML-N opposed the decision to ban motorcycles in Quetta and said that motorbikes facilitate the poor and banning it would badly affect the people at large.
Parliament has failed in curbing terrorism: Malik - thenews.com.pk
