Peshawar Central Jail. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Rubina Shaheen, a union council member from Darwesh, presented her resolution with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Saleh Muhammad and PTI’s Malik Haq Nawaz as proposer and seconder respectively.
Through the resolution, Shaheen said the human rights of every citizen, including detained individuals, must be protected under the charters, conventions and declarations of UN. She said the government had resorted to delaying tactics in criminalising custodial abuse even though Pakistan had ratified the convention on June 6, 2010.
As per the resolution, thousands of citizens, including women and children, were still being subjected to physical and mental torture at police stations and jails without any checks. This was taking place because legislation has not been introduced in this regard.
According to Shaheen, torture was rampant and victims do not receive sufficient attention. She added many of them end up indulging in domestic violence, drug abuse and end up becoming repeat offenders.
She urged provincial and federal governments to enact a law against torture in line with UNCAT provisions. The house unanimously adopted the resolution.
Walkout
Earlier, members from PTI and PML-N jointly walked out of the house against the delay in issuing work orders on development schemes even after one year. However, they went back to their seats when tehsil nazim Tariq Khan and some women members persuaded them to return.
Resolutions
PML-N’s Sajjad Khan Bagra and PTI’s Iftikhar Abbasi passed resolutions against Ali Gohar, a line superintendent of Pesco’s construction division. They accused him of deliberately delaying the replacement of wires and installation of transformers in different areas of Haripur even though funds had been allocated in this regard.
They said a number of union councils were facing low voltage due to delays in replacing wires. They also condemned the excessive power outages in the area. The councillors urged National Accountability Bureau to conduct an enquiry against him. Syed Aleem Pasha demanded an increase in the rent of kiosk owners of old Sabzi Mandi and the recovery of outstanding monthly rent.
PMLN’s Raja Ayab, a member from Hattar union council, demanded the withdrawal of the per marla property tax of Rs80,000 in the industrial area. PTI’s Hizbullah Khan, a tehsil councillor, demanded development funds be equally distributed to all 37 union councils without discrimination. This was also adopted unanimously.
The house also approved a contract with a landowner for the dumping of solid waste from the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2016.
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