Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Monday asked the Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report before it about the news circulating with respect to the escape of former spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Ehsanullah Ehsan from the custody of security authorities.
Senator Javed Abbasi at the start of the meeting presided over by Senator Rehman Malik said that for last few days a news about escape of Ehsan, who claimed responsibility for killing of thousands of innocent Pakistani civilians and military personnel, was circulating.
"Someone has also sent him a video in which he (Ehsan) claimed that he has escaped along with his family," he said, adding that that was a very serious issue but the government was keeping mum.
Abbasi said that it would be a serious threat to the security of the country if the news about the escape of Ehsan was true.
"If Ehsan comes in the clutches of our enemy, it may be harmful for the security of the country," he said.
"However, if he (Ehsan) has been sent out on a mission, we would not take up the matter," Abbasi said.
Malik directed the Ministry of Interior to respond to the questions raised by the committee about the news of Ehsan's "escape".
He asked the ministry to submit a detailed report about the incident within three days.
The parliamentary body also took up the issue of the spread of Coronavirus in China and observed a minute's silence to express solidarity with the victims of the deadly virus.
Malik said that according to reports over 2,000 Pakistanis including students were currently in China.
He said that the Chinese ambassador told him that no Pakistani in China was affected by Coronavirus.
Malik said that according to the Chinese ambassador, China had made a vaccine to counter the Coronavirus.
"The committee recommended to the government to set up 10 to 15-bed hospital at all airports as well as devise effective mechanism for checking of people coming from China," the senator said.
The committee also directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general (DG) to inform the committee about the exact number of Pakistanis who had arrived from China after the Coronavirus attack.
The FIA should ask people coming to Pakistan about their exact destinations at all the country's airports, Malik said.
He said that a number of Chinese nationals were working on various China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan, therefore the CPEC authority needed to make arrangements for conducting tests of the Chinese citizens as well as introduce virus-free cards for them.
The committee observed that the country would take every possible step for Pakistani students in China and the Chinese government was also very concerned about them.
"The Chinese ambassador has assured him that his country is providing all possible facilities to the Pakistani students," Malik said.
He said that the first case of Coronavirus surfaced in December last year therefore any Chinese citizen who contacted Coronavirus before coming to Pakistan should be kept in isolation wards.
Senator Abbasi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan should himself talk to the Chinese prime minister about the Pakistani students stuck in various areas of China hit by Coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the committee has unanimously passed the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Act, 2019. According to the amendments board of governors of authority will consists of Interior minister, secretary Interior, secretary, Defence Division, secretary Law and Justice, secretary Finance, one senator from opposition to be recommended by Chairman Senate, one member from government of National Assembly to be recommended by speaker National Assembly, Director General (DG), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and DG FIA.
According to statement of objects and reasons of the bill there has been a surge of terrorist activities in recent months in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which necessitates greater coordination of Minister for Interior with all stakeholders, through the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on war footings.
Therefore keeping in views the exigencies of national security, internal peace and order, some amendments are required in NACTA act, 2013 for changing reporting hierarchy of NACTA, to make it more efficient and effective organization.
Meanwhile, the committee strongly condemned the converting of former finance minister and Senator Ishaq Dar's house into a Panahgah (shelter home).
Senator Abbasi said that Dar was a member of Senate and he should not be victimized as member of an opposition party.
Cases against Dar have not yet been decided as well as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has also restrained the Government of Punjab from auctioning of Dar's house, he said.
Abbasi asked whether the government would convert the houses of other accused such as former president Pervez Musharraf into a Panahgah too. The committee asked the government to investigate the matter and submit report before the committee.
Malik said that Musharraf had issued Pakistani passport to around 90,000 individuals from Afghanistan. He directed the FIA to submit a report on the matter.
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