Cabinet backs new anti-terror laws for FATA

Amendment would give legal cover to members elected in by-polls.

ISLAMABAD:

The cabinet on Wednesday decided to support amending the constitution for the 20th time in a bid to protect the 23 lawmakers whose victories in by-elections may be invalidated by the Supreme Court on ground that they were elected while four of the five seats on the Election Commission of Pakistan were empty.

The cabinet also approved the draft of a contentious new law which would give legal cover to actions against militants in tribal areas. Amid increasing incidents of extra-judicial killings at the hands of security forces, the proposed laws, which may restrict the civil liberties of the residents of the tribal areas even further, are likely to be controversial.

The information ministry did not hold its customary press briefing after the cabinet meeting, fearing an embarrassing boycott by journalists, most of whom were protesting the killing of Asia Times Online correspondent Saleem Shehzad. A handout was later issued, providing the details of the meeting.

Among other measures approved in the cabinet meeting was the approval of the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill, 2011.  The cabinet also ratified the Framework Economic Cooperation Agreement signed between Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The cabinet approved initiating negotiations on the draft treaty dealing with drug trafficking between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.