The Senate on Monday sought policy statements from the government on the foreign policy of the country as well as the recently held peace talks between Afghan government and the Taliban and the whereabouts of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's death.
The issues were raised by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar. Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani asked leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq to ask advisor to prime minister on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz to give policy statement on both the issues.
Speaking on a point of order, Senator Babar said that there were reports that Mullah Omar died in Pakistan in 2013. The government had been denying about the presence of Taliban Shura and the whereabouts of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Babar said, adding that all of a sudden OBL was assassinated in Abbottabad on May 2.
He said that the Foreign Office should have given a clear statement about the reports of Mullah Omar's death in Pakistan. The Foreign Office should have informed whether the report of Mulalh Omar's death sneaked from Pakistan to Afghanistan or visa versa. "This should have been cleared by the government or it will give birth to unnecessary questions," he added.
He questioned that if Mullah Omar was dead two years ago, who issued statement on Eid, impersonating the Taliban leader. He also sought progress on the recently held peace talks between Afghan government and Taliban in Murree and added the Upper House should have been informed about details of the talks. The Afghan government had confirmed last week that Mullah Omar died in April 2013 in Pakistan. A spokesman for Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security had confirmed to the media that Mullah Omar died in a hospital in Karachi in April 2013.
In a last ditch effort to save a death convict - Shafqat Hussain - Senator Sherry Rehman of PPP appealed the government to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment in the light of recommendations of the Human Rights Commission of Sindh. The request by Sherry came just hours before the execution of Shafqat Hussain as he is going to be hanged today (August 4). She said that Law Department of Sindh has also requested the ministry of interior to halt his death sentence for some time in the light of the recommendations of the commission.
She said that head of Human Rights Commission Sindh former Justice Majida in its recommendations said that confession statement was got from Shafqat under severe torture and duress and the point of his juvenility was still under question. The commission said that important evidence was missing and the convict had already served 11 years in prison. "Life once gone cannot be revived," she said, asking the government to halt his execution.
Speaking on his commenced motion, Senator Usman Kakar from Balochistan said that Frontier Corpse (FC) in Balochistan is trespassing into provincial government's domain by illegally signing an lease agreement with fake coal mine owners in Harnai and busy in pocketing money at will.
"Through this agreement, FC is getting Rs 220 per ton of coal being extracted from the mines," he said, adding the money being collected is in millions, while the FC is mandated only to maintain law and order in the province. "Chief Minister Balochistan and his provincial cabinet withdrew the FC from the agreement but it was till extorting money," he said. Senator Babar said that FC in Balochistan not only disobeyed the orders of the provincial government but also considers itself as it is under nobody's control, which is not acceptable.
He said that FC was involved in kidnapping people in the province and a statement of police officer before the court in this regard needs to be probed. However, General Abdul Qayyum (Retd) said that the basic responsibility of FC was to protect the border areas but as the civilian forces failed in inner areas of the province, FC was being involved. He said that Dukki mines field in the province started with the efforts of FC. Baz Mohamamd Khan said that the Balochistan government had issued a directive that no one would be allowed to collect money from mines except provincial mines and minerals department.
State Minister for Interior Baleegur Rehman said that the agreement was made in 2014 after taking the Balochistan government into confidence and the ministry of interior had received no complaint against FC. Sherry Rehman also rejected the way the government demolished katachi abadi (slums) in I-11 of Islamabad, terming it against the very spirit of democracy. "This is not fair that you bulldozed people," she said, adding that these people should be given compensation.
Farahatullah Babar said that the government had made the recently formed National Commission on Human Right toothless, as no funds had been released for its smooth functioning. The law minister Pervaiz Rasheed said that a summary had been moved to finance division for the release of funds, and assured that proper funding would be provided to the commission. There was exchange of hot words between the minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal and chairman Senate Raza Rabbani after the former objected over the motion of Senator Colonel (Retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi regarding the effects of transferring the money abroad on the economy of country.
The minister wanted to speak while the chair giving reference to the rules said that the minister could give his response when the house would take up the motion as commenced motion. "If you are not satisfied the way the house was being conduced, you can use parliamentary channels for redressal of your complaint," the chair had to give remarks after the minister was not ready to sit silent. The house rejected a resolution with the majority votes that the recommended to the government to give university status to PIMS so that free medical facilities to the poor patients may continue.
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