Senate body passes Illegal Dispossession (Amend) Bill, 2017

Tasks interior ministry to make relevant amendment in the bill and submit it within 15 days

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics on Friday ‘conditionally’ passed the Illegal Dispossession (Amendment) Bill, 2017, directing the interior ministry to make an amendment in the bill and submit it within 15 days.

The meeting of the Senate body was held under the chairmanship of Senator Rehman Malik at old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges.

Discussing the Illegal Dispossession (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Senator Malik told the Ministry of Interior that the bill is yet incomplete as there should be a minimum limit of compulsory punishment.

Minister of State Baligh ur Rehman assured the committee that the necessary amendment shall be introduced within the given period of 15 days.



The committee had taken serious notice of the continuous recovery of narcotics from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) airplanes first in Heathrow Airport, London and then at Benazir Bhutto Airport, Islamabad and had directed the ministry and concerned departments to brief the committee.

Briefing the committee, Senior Joint Secretary Narcotics Division said the matter is yet under investigation and the findings shall be shared with the committee after conclusion.

He said the prime minister had already directed formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. Malik said he and the committee appreciate the premier’s move of formation of a committee.

However, the committee demanded thorough investigation into the matter.



He said, “Such heinous crimes bring bad name not only to the national institutions like PIA but also to the country as a whole.”

“Whoever is found involved must be punished according to the law,” said Senator Malik. “Such planned crimes are not possible without involvement of the officials at the airport.”

He directed the representatives from PIA and Civil Aviation Authority to be present in the next committee’s meeting.

As per Senator Malik’s information, there is a drug mafia consisting of officials from different agencies involved in this heinous crime. He said, “Initial reports were suggesting that the drugs were placed in the panel of the plane but an official of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) pointed out that the drugs were planted in the rear kitchen of the plane.”



Malik highly appreciated the timely action taken by the ANF.

As the committee had tasked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with briefing it on the arrest of Afghan girls at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad the FIA Director Mazhar ul Haq Kakakhel briefed the committee in detail about the incident.

He said, “The Afghan girls, who were to travel abroad on forged documents, were arrested at the airport by FIA officials.”

Kakakhel said, “The case was investigated thoroughly by a capable team under my own supervision and those who were involved in this case of human smuggling had been arrested.”



He said, “Unfortunately two senior officials of the PIA task force were also found involved and were arrested.”

Commending the FIA and highly appreciating the role of Kakakhel and the investigation team, Malik directed that letters of appreciation be issued to them.

The committee also directed the FIA to investigate cyber-crime against Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi and submit a report in the next meeting of the committee.

The meeting was attended by its members Senator Chaudhary Tanvir Khan, Senator Muhammad Javed Abassi, minister of state for interior and narcotics control, officials of the Ministry of Interior and others.