The facilitators of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in Pakistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi and Balochistan, are the part of the present Balochistan government, alleged Senator Israrullah Khan Zehri on Wednesday. Senator Zehri, who is also president of Balochistan National Party (Awami), told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the facilitators of Kulbhushan Jadhav are sitting in the Balochistan government, asking why the concerned departments are not taking action against them.
To this, Senator Abdul Rehman Malik, who is also chairman of the committee, said the committee will hold an in-camera meeting on this issue. When the committee took up a public petition of Naziran, the daughter of a missing person, Fateh Muhammad Khoso, Zehri said there is a large of number of missing persons cases in Balochistan. He alleged that the present provincial government is involved in forced disappearance of people.
"You should bring cases of missing persons before the committee and we would take them up," Malik told Zehri. "If I bring cases of missing persons before the committee, I would myself become a missing person," Zehri said. Malik further said that everyone knows what Kulbushan was doing in Pakistan and what he confessed. "We need to refrain from blaming our intelligence and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) regarding missing persons," he added.
Zehri said that a video has surfaced on social media in which levies personnel are torturing a nine-year-old child but no action has been taken against the personnel despite the fact that the matter was brought into the notice of higher officials. The committee asked the Ministry of Interior to investigate the matter and submit a report before the committee.
About the matter of Fateh Muhammad Khoso, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior told the committee that four out of five agencies have said that the person is not in their custody and a response from the last one is awaited. The ministry has written to the Frontier Constabulary (FC) to seek information whether or not any FIR was lodged for his recovery.
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the ministry will forward the matter of Khoso, a resident of Madras Mohallah, Kandhkot, to the Missing Persons Commission, headed by former Justice Javed Iqbal, who has been recently appointed chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
While briefing the committee, he said that over 4,329 cases have so far been reported to Missing Persons Commission, of which 2,943 have been disposed of. The commission is still working on over 1,386 cases and the number of complaints received by the commission is on decline, Chaudhry said.
Senator Muhammad Ali Saif pointed out that many cases have been disposed of after paying compensation. He said the committee should be informed about the exact number of recoveries in the next meeting.
Malik said that following the constitution of Missing Person Commission, a large number of people have been recovered. He said that mostly the foreign agencies kidnapped people to defame the government or create anarchy, adding that agencies of hostile countries are involved in the kidnapping of people.
The committee also expressed concern over rising incidents of woman stabbing in Karachi. The parliamentary body asked the federal and provincial governments to submit a report regarding the matter before the committee. The committee also summoned inspector general of police (IGP) and home secretary Sindh to its next meeting to brief the committee on woman stabbing incidents in Karachi.
During the meeting, Senators Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Shibli Faraz exchanged harsh words when Faraz said that a few years ago law and order in Karachi was so deteriorated that even a sparrow was hesitant to fly. Mashhadi said, "You are targeting our party. Talk about the law and order situation in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and what is the condition of law and order on mountains there?"
Malik condemned and took a serious notice of the incident of disappearance of youth from Shiite community in Karachi during Muhharram. The chairman directed secretary committee to direct the federal government and Sindh government to brief the committee about the issue.
Denouncing the statement of the US Defence Secretary that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is passing through a disputed territory, Malik said that the US is speaking the language of India which is not acceptable. He said that the CPEC is continuation of centuries old trade route Silk Road for the purpose of regional prosperity and development. Instead of opposing the CPEC, the US should support and participate in peaceful activities to ensure peace in the region.
The committee also rejected 'The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2017' moved by Senator Sehar Kamran and referred the same to the Council of Islamic Ideology for review. In his remarks on the bill, the chairman committee said that any law that militates against shall not be approved to Islamic injunction.
The committee took notice of the absence of secretary interior from the meeting and warned if he doesn't ensure his presence in next meetings, the committee will proceed against him. The committee also deferred a discussion on the Prevention of Witchcraft Bill, 2017, the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017, moved by Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan, and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) (Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons) Bill, 2017, moved by Senator Rubina Khalid, due to absence of movers.
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