The National Assembly on Wednesday passed 'The Anti-Terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013' with amendments for more stringent laws to rein in the prevailing terrorism activities. Recently, the National Assembly also approved "The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in its on-going session.
The Anti-Terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013 was moved by Law Minister Farooq H Naek in the House. Many amendments proposed by Zahid Hamid of PML-N, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Dr Atiya Inayatullah of PML-Q and Tariq Shabbir of PPP have been incorporated in the bill. There are 25 clauses of the bill. The amendments were incorporated in clause 2,3,4,7,8,9,10,14,18,21,24,25 of the bill. Law Minister Farooq H Naek did not oppose the amendments.
According to clause 7 of sub-clause (1), "Any person who has been concerned in any offence under this Act or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been so concerned, the government may issue order of his preventive detention for a period not exceeding ninety day, which shall not be challenged in any court for the purpose of inquiry, specifying reasons and ground thereof." According to amendment incorporated in Clause 7 of the Bill substituted new section 11EEF, "(1) the Government may, for a period not exceeding thirty days and after recording reasons thereof, issue order for the preventive detention of any person who has been concerned in any offence under this Act relating to national security and sectarianism or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists of his heaving been so concerned, for purposes of inquiry:
Provided that the Anti-Terrorism Court may, for reasons to be recorded, grant extension in the period of detention for up to thirty days at a time, but the total period of detention shall not exceed ninety day." According to objects and reasons of the Bill, growing menace of terrorism and attacks on Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Agencies, civil and government offices and installations have adversely affected the security situation. The extra-ordinary circumstances demand more stringent laws to curb the terrorist violence and to punish those found involved with a view to create adequate deterrence.
Leader of opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on a point of order said the government is in a hurry to pass important bills in its last two days of the incumbent National Assembly. He said the bills related to anti-terrorisms were lying for two years but the government did not pay any attention to them. "In the last two days of the assembly, the government is trying to streamline these bills," he added. About the amnesty scheme bill, the opposition leader said, "The government wants to provide amnesty to tax evaders, but we will not let this happen."
Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah said it is praiseworthy that the Parliament is also working in its lost days. Law Minister Farooq H Naek said that we accepted the amendments of the opposition. "It is need of such laws to the country and I request to the House to pass the bill," he said.
Earlier, the National Assembly also passed "The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (PIMS), Islamabad Bill, 2013". According to the Bill, the government replaced the name of Quaid-e-Azam Postgraduate Medical College (QPGMC) with The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (PIMS). The bill was tabled by Nazar Muhammad Gondal in the House, which was passed. Defence Minister Syed Naveed Qamar also introduced 'The Futures Trading Bill, 2013'.The Speaker referred the bill to the concerned sanding committee of the House for further deliberations.