Senate session: HR Commission's Bill referred to committee after opposition's objections

Deputy Chairman Senate Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali on Wednesday referred "The National Commission for Human Rights Bill, 2011" to Senate's Standing Committee on Law and Human Rights for further deliberation with the directives to report back to the House within 20 days.
When Advisor to Prime Minster on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tabled the Bill in the House for passage, the Senators raised objections on the Bill and proposed the Deputy Chairman to refer it to the Standing Committees on Law, Justice and Human Rights for further vetting.
Questioning the qualification proposed in the bill for chairperson of the commission, Professor Khurshid Ahmed said that the conditions of experience and qualification of chairperson were weak. He said that the Bill should be referred to Standing Committees on Law and Human Rights for further deliberation.
Senator S. M. Zafar said that there was a need to amend the Bill. He said the Bill has a very short definition of human rights and there was a need to extend its scope. He said the Chairperson of the Commission should have experience of dealing with human rights issues. A joint meeting of botth he committees should discuss the bill.
Professor Muhmmad Ibrahim, Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhidi (Retd) Dr Abdul Malik, Haroon Khan and others also suggested that the Bill should be referred to the committees for further consideration. Khokhar did not oppose the proposal and said that the bill should be referred to the committees. He said that they wanted the bill should be passed unanimously by the House.