The lawmakers across the aisle in Senate on Monday called upon the government to approach the United Nations Security Council and its human rights council against genocide of Rohingya Muslims. The lawmakers lambasted Myanmar government for the genocide of the most prosecuted minority of Rohingya Muslims as well as the world community for acting as a silent spectator.
The House which started the debate on a call attention notice moved by Mohsin Leghari later decided to pass a unanimous resolution to convey its concern to international community and express solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims. The House will pass the resolution today (Tuesday) condemning the barbarism and a copy of it will also be sent to United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva for taking action against inhumanly treatment with a minority community.
Talking part in the discussion leader of the opposition Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan lashed out at the Muslim world for its silence over the atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. "We must accept the fact that there exists no Muslim Ummah at all...we will pass the resolution but nothing will happen, the Rohingya Muslims will continue to be prosecuted but the Muslim Ummah will not come for their rescue", he stated angrily. Apparently pointing towards the Arab League who supported Saudi Arabia against Yemen, he pointed out that Iraq was invaded and Afghanistan was attacked but there was no Muslim Ummah to raise its voice but the joined hands with Saudi Arabia because the kingdom is an ally of the US.
"We, instead of calling upon the Muslim Ummah, must urge the UN human rights body to look into the matter on humanitarian grounds", he said and endorsed the MQM's Barrister Saif's suggestion to invoke the UN Security Council and its Human Rights Council. Earlier, Barrister Saif stated that mere passing resolutions and rhetoric will not serve the purpose, adding the government should instruct the Foreign Office to raise the issue under the UN's Convention against Racial Discrimination and Convention against Torture at the international level.
He further said that any member country can take the issue to the UN General Assembly and Security Council under Chapter 7 of the United Nations. He pointed out that Rohingya Muslims was not the only community being prosecuted but Christians in the North are also being subjected to the discrimination.
He said that the European Union came forward and took up the issue at the UN by tabling a resolution but not a single Muslim country is ready to take the initiative for the Muslim being prosecuted at Rohingya. PML-Q's Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that it was a humanitarian issue and the atrocities inflicted upon the Rohingya Muslims have no example. He said the Myanmar government is not even ready to recognise them as their citizens.
He suggested that the government should announce to mark an official day in solidarity with Rohingya Muslims and also constitute a delegation of the House to visit the Embassy of Myanmar to convey our concerns. Professor Sajid Mir of the PML-N came up with more tough suggestion, saying that imposing sanctions against Myanmar government would not be enough but it needs use of force the way the United States used in Iraq and other Muslim countries. He further suggested that Pakistan should also come forward to bring Rohingya Muslims who are currently stranded at sea.
Leader of the House Raja Zafar-ul-Haq while speaking backed the suggestions by the senators, saying that the government not only approach the Human Rights Council but also raise the issue with International Criminal Court. He said that the Prime Minister has also constituted a committee which has finalised its recommendations.
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani, in his observations, said that the government can better raise the issue through diplomatic channels and also the copy of the resolution, being passed today can send to Human Rights Council in Geneva. Those who took part in the discussion include PPP's Taj Haider, Karim Khawaja, PML-N's Kalsoom Parveen, Saleem Zia, Chaudhry Tanveer, MQM's Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Nighat Mirza, National Party's Mir Kabir.
Earlier, the opposition parties refused to initiate the debate on the budget and demanded of the government to arrange live coverage of the Senate debate. Upon which the Chair suspended the proceedings for some time so that the matter is resolved. Minister for Information Pervez Rashid later told the House that the PTV would arrange the live coverage of the House debate from today and the state television will also provide the transmission to other private TV channels.
Rabbani, however, was not happy for not consulting the Senate as the same issue was also raised by the opposition in the National Assembly and the government only negotiated with the parliamentary leaders in the Lower House. Minister for Commerce, Khurram Dastgir on behalf of the Finance Minister laid before the Senate a copy of Finance Bill, The Finance (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.
Khurram Dastgir moved a motion that the Senate may make recommendations to the National Assembly on the Finance Bill, 2015 containing the Annual Budget Statement, under Article 73 of the Constitution. Responding a call attention notice, Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif told the House that all the boards of the Power Distribution Companies are independent and making decisions without any political influence.
He was responding to call attention notice moved by PTI's Nauman Wazir Khattak regarding unequal representation of provinces in the Board of National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) Limited and non-representation of experts in the Board due to which a number of problems have arisen. The Minister said the members of the board have got stay order from the court against reconstitution of the board. He said after the decision of the matter new board will be constituted having representation from all the provinces. He said the government is eager to constitute a broad based, non-political and professional board of NTDC having trans- provincial representation.
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