Some banned organisations have re-emerged with new names and nomenclatures in Punjab province and the law enforcement agencies have launched an effective action against them following the approval of National Action Plan (NAP), a senior official of Punjab home department told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday.
Additional Secretary Punjab home department Dr Ehtisham while speaking at Functional Committee on Human Rights which met with Senator Nasreen Jalil in the chair said that some banned organisations have re-emerged with new names in the Punjab province. "The law enforcement agencies have launched an effective operation against these organisations but other provinces also need to initiate a similar action in this regard," he said while responding to a question raised by Senator Farhatullah Babar about curbing banned organisations which have re-emerged with new names.
Ehtisham said the law enforcement agencies in Punjab have arrested about 1,000 persons of banned organisations who were running their outfits with new names. The provincial government has registered 6,000 cases in the terrorism-related matters, he said. He said that no organisation is allowed to change its name and continue its operation with a new name. He said that 80 cases have been registered in Punjab over terrorism financing.
About gang-rape cases in Punjab, he said that a 15 to 20 percent decline has been recorded in such cases in the province as in 2014 the total number of gang rape cases was 262 while in 2015 it reduced to 224. He said that police have arrested 70 percent accused involved in gang rape cases.
He said that the main reason behind a decline in the cases is speedy investigation of gang-rape cases with help of Punjab Forensic Science Agency. The Punjab government has included gender-based course in the training module of police, he said. Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Federal Minister for Human Rights, told the committee that the Hindu community in Sindh particular was facing various problems regarding their marriages and requested the introduction of a special legislation in this regard. After the 18th Amendment, the federal government could not make any legislation on its own until provinces passed a resolution and allowed the federal government to make legislations on devolved subjects, such as the Hindu Marriage Law.
He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan government passed resolutions but Sindh and Punjab governments have yet to pass such resolutions to make a legislation on the Hindu Marriage Law. Chairperson of the Committee Senator Nasreen Jalil requested the governments of Punjab and Sindh to pass resolutions and allow the federal government to make a proper legislation according to the wishes of Hindu community.
Regarding a briefing on the status of missing persons, according to the report of the sub-committee of functional committee on human rights presented in the senate 2013, the committee directed Ministry of Defence to brief the committee on legislation on Enforced Disappear Persons.
Senator Farhatullah Babar informed the committee that in 2013, the Senate adopted a resolution of the committee to make a proper legislation on missing persons. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan also asked for a legislation in this regard. According to the rules, Babar said, the government has to reply within 60 days to Senate about any legislation but in this case he regretted that there was no response for the last two years.
A senior official of Ministry of Interior said that Interior Ministry had sent its comments to Ministry of Human Rights in 2013 regarding the proposed legislation. The Ministry of Interior has also prepared a report in this regard and sent it to the Prime Minister, he said.
He said the legislation on enforced disappearance cases is related to Ministry of Defence; therefore, comments should be sought from the said ministry. Senator Mir Kabir Ahmed Muhammad Shahi said the issue of missing persons is highly important; therefore, the committee needs to take step in this regard. " If any one is involved in any crime, he should be arrested but must be produced before the court of law," he said, adding that inordinate delays in disposal of missing persons' cases the confidence of people over court has shrunk. Zafrullah Khan also told the committee that the government was working on speedy justice provision and prepared about nine draft bills, which will be presented by the government soon.
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