The Senate on Tuesday passed the Decorations (Amendment) Bill 2005 after a 'mild' debate on what the opposition called deteriorating law and order situation in the country and brutal role of Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan. The bill is aimed at introducing the name of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah in the schedule of awards conferred on distinguished celebrities every year.
Before the Upper House approved the bill, the combined opposition moved an adjournment motion seeking a debate on law and order situation with specific reference to increasing number of highway robberies in the federal capital.
The opposition members also sought a debate through another similar motion on what they called brutal treatment of the people of Balochistan by the Frontier Constabulary personnel.
The chairman ruled both the adjournment motions out of order after Minister of State for Interior Shahzad Waseem opposed them, but gave the movers and some other legislatures a fair opportunity to ponder over the issues.
Professor Khursheed Ahmad from Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), one of movers of the motion, argued law and order situation had been worsening over the last couple of years.
The MMA stalwart, otherwise known for his strong grip over economic matters, pinpointed increasing number of highway and street robberies and car lifting incidents in the federal capital.
"If the government cannot provide security to the citizens of the most sensitive city (Islamabad), then how can we expect good from it in other parts of the country?" He questioned.
Shahzad Waseem contested the figure Khursheed came up with and said that the crimes the professor talked about had significantly been reduced during the last two years.
The chair thought it more appropriate to rule the adjournment motion out of order and didn't allow what might be a two-hour heated debate on the issue.
The other adjournment motion on FC brutalities against Baloch people, again moved by Professor Khursheed, also met the same fate and the matter couldn't be discussed despite pressing demands of some Balochistan nationalists.
But during the debate on the admissibility of the motion, Baloch nationalists termed the FC highhandedness to the people of the province as the violation of basic human rights.
Senator Sanaullah Baloch of Balochistan National Party (Mengal group) said that FC was one of the remains of British colonial system and the government was using it to harass the people.
Ismail Buledi, another Senator from Balochistan, said that the FC personnel were involved in human and narcotics smuggling and corruption.
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