As civil rights movement challenging law enforcement abuses is gaining momentum in the wake of Sahiwal shooting, former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Tuesday called for convening a meeting of Senate Committee of the Whole to discuss never ending extrajudicial killings in the country. Speaking on a point of public importance in the Senate, Rabbani regretted that for a long time, under the policy of the state, extrajudicial killings have been done. "It [extrajudicial killing] has a long list, in which, through a well-thought-out strategy, the state decided to kill Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto through extrajudicial killing. Then it continued and stopped at Nawab Akbar Bugti," he added.
He continued when the state realised that it is not possible for it to eliminate the terrorists by staying within the ambit of the law, it gave licence to extrajudicial killing, adding when they got the licence, there left no obstacle. "When there is left no obstacle, we witnessed incidents where, recently, you can see Sahiwal incident wherein parents were killed in front of their children. The children whose smile is the future of this country but this state that is supposed to give them the smile snatched it," he lamented.
He said that personnel of the state kept targeting a couple riding a scooter with bullets in Karachi, which he insisted, compelled him to recall what former leader of opposition in Senate Aitzaz Ahsan used to say: "The republic will be like a mother that will love all her citizens." "Is this what the state should do? A state which Aitzaz termed a motherly figure, is killing its vulnerable citizens with bullets in which direction we're heading? Which system is this? If this is civil, which too has four different applications and then we gave you military courts but even then extrajudicial killings did not stop," he exclaimed.
He warned unless the rule of law is stabled, this situation will persist, adding the issue of missing persons and kidnapping of journalists persists, adding, "If kidnapping of journalists has stopped, is not there a pressure media owners to fire working journalist who are not towing the line of the establishment." In such a situation, he contended that it is the responsibility of the Parliament to take the lead, adding "If the Parliament fails to stop all this, the history will place it in the category where it will place the criminals."
Later, taking part in debate on the presidential address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Lt Gen Salahuddin Tirmizi (retd) of PML-N said that speech of the President is nothing but a written stuff by bureaucrats. "The vision of our President is to perform Hajj along with his family at state expense and get salute from armed forces on March 23 and August 14, etc. There are no importance of presidents in the country except the US," he lamented. He proposed to amend the Constitution instead of delivering hollow speeches on the presidential address in parliament, adding if it is so important, the Prime Minister should come and give a speech instead of the President.
Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini said, "The country has gone on unannounced isolation, as we already do not have good ties with India, but now our relations with Iran are not up to the mark." "There are some important issue which should be given due importance but no attention is paid to them. The President should have mentioned all the important issues confronting the country," he added. He questioned why Saudi Arabia was given to set up oil refinery at Gwadar without consulting China, which is a strategic partner in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
He said that water conservation is the most important issue which should be given top most priority, but drought-hit areas, especially those in Balochistan, are not even being touched. On education policy, he said that it is a devolved subject, but efforts are being made to roll back the 18th Constitutional Amendment. "Desalination plants are not being set up at Gwadar. Under which law Reko Diq project was handed over to another country? If any other country possesses 780km sea, tourism could have been the only source through which the destiny of the country could have been changed," he added.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Rehman Malik proposed that before addressing the joint sitting of Parliament, the President should also visit all the electoral colleges which include the Senate and the four provincial assemblies. "There was no suggestion in the President's speech about foreign policy, eradication of terrorism, fragile economy and the overall governance system of the country," he added.
He continued that not a single chief minister is happy with the Centre, and the President who is the symbol of federation, should play his due role, adding all the provinces should give 25 percent of their shares to backward province like Balochistan.
Winding up the speech, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said unlike his predecessors, Dr Arif Alvi is a self-made president who reached this position after hectic political struggle of 22 years. He said that establishment has been showing a great restrain since 2007, which has paved the way for political stability in the country. He said that the President had given all the policy guidelines to the government, which the opposition should acknowledge. "As Quaid-e-Azam had said when he would die, he wanted Allah to say: well done Mr Jinnah...you did a great job for Pakistan [and] exactly this is what PM Imran Khan wants as the concept of State of Medina is a step forward towards making the country a welfare state," he added.
He said that the President strongly believes in women empowerment as educating a girl means educating the whole family. He said that the focus of the President on economy is also one of the guidelines on which the government is working to make the state economically viable. "The President acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces in war against terrorism. He also mentioned Sino-Pak relations," he concluded.
Speaking on a point of public importance, Senator Usman Kakar warned not to treat people of erstwhile tribal areas like people of Bangladesh which resulted in disintegration of the country. "The sacrifices of people of [erstwhile] FATA surpass than the armed forces of Pakistan, as these are people. Stop this highhandedness...God forbid if people of tribal areas come face to face, the defeat will be of that the military," he warned. He also said that issue of Majeed Kanju's nephew, allegedly kidnapped by unknown persons, should be referred to the concerned committee of the house. The chairman sought report from the Punjab government.
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