Mustafa Impex judgement: government to file review petition, NA body told

The government is going to file a review petition in the Supreme Court with respect to the Mustafa Impex judgment, wherein it is declared that the federal government consists of prime minister and federal ministers.

Secretary Interior Yousaf Naeem Khokhar stated this before National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, saying it came to his knowledge that Law Ministry is going to file a review petition in the apex court with respect to 2016 Mustafa Impex judgment in which it was declared that the federal government is a collective entity described as the cabinet constituting the prime minister and the federal ministers under the Section 189.

A senior official of Ministry of Law and Justice said that the government in its review petition will explain before the SC that only policy matters of national level should be discussed in the federal cabinet but matters related to day to day affairs may be dealt with at the ministry level.

The committee discussed 'the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019' seeking amendment in the National Counter Terrorism Authority Act, 2013 in section 3, section 6 and section 9. In the aforesaid act, in section 9's sub-section (1), the phrase "federal government" may be substituted with words "prime minister". The committee deferred the bill till its next meeting.

The parliamentary committee also discussed the matter related to arrest of four women in Balochistan and expressed annoyance over the absence of Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Balochistan from the meeting.

MNA Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak said that the issue of arrest of four women has been widely reported in international media which has badly affected the country's image and the Kashmir issue. Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari faced tough questions of international media regarding the arrest of four women, she added.

Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Quetta, while briefing the committee regarding the matter said that four women were arrested in presence of women police and they were produced before a court within 24 hours.

He said that arrested women have confessed during investigation that their brothers, husbands and sons are associated with Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) but they have no links with BLA. Police have recovered three grenades, wire, three detonators and explosive material form their residential premises, he said, adding that police have not directly recovered explosive material form these women. He further said that police have released women on the basis of insufficient evidence but investigations are still under way.

When Abdul Qadir Patel, an MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), asked why police officials brought these women before media at a press conference before completion of investigation, the chief commissioner Awaran said that police officials did not address any press conference. The committee summoned home secretary Balochistan to the meeting to be held today (Thursday).

The parliamentary body also took up for discussion the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2019, moved by MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, seeking amendment in sections 292, 293 and 294 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to enhance punishment for act of obscenity.

Chitrali said that with the passage of time, obscenity has not only disturbed the individual life but it has become a terrible act of annoyance for the whole society.

Abdul Qadir Patel said that the word 'obscenity' needs to be defined. He asked: "What will be the fate of those women who become prostitutes due to circumstances?" He also asked: what is the state doing for those women who remain involved in prostitution due to "compulsion".

The parliamentary body constituted a sub-committee to hold further deliberations over the bill.

The committee passed 'the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrant (Amendment) Act, 2019,' moved by MNA Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak.