Senate panel seeks report on terrorist attack on Gwadar hotel

Directs interior ministry to submit report on measures taken to secure sensitive buildings in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday sought a comprehensive report on the terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental in Gwadar.

The committee meeting, chaired by Senator A Rehman Malik, strongly condemned the recent wave of terrorism in Balochistan, directing the interior ministry to submit a report on the measures taken to secure sensitive buildings in Balochistan.

The committee also offered Fateha for the departed souls.

Malik said, “Enemies are using negative tactics to frustrate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. But the Pakistani nation will not let them succeed in their nefarious designs.”

The committee asked the government to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) in its true letter and spirit.

Gwadar hotel attacker believed to be on 'missing persons' list

The interior ministry was directed to brief the committee about implementation status of NAP.

Malik said sacrifices of the martyrs would not go in vain.

National Database and Registration Authority Chairman Usman Mobeen informed the committee that 200,000 people visit NADRA centres daily for making Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC).

“NADRA receives 200 complaints daily,” said Mobeen. “NADRA has a mechanism in place to punish the officials against whom complaint is received.”

He said NADRA punished 32 officials after it was proven that they misbehaved.

Additionally, he said, call centres received 250 complaints, adding that the Prime Minister Citizen Complaint Portal received 8,000 complaints relating to NADRA, which were addressed.

The committee directed to establish complaint centres in all embassies and diplomatic missions abroad to facilitate overseas Pakistanis.

The committee was told that no firing range existed in the American embassy in Islamabad.

The committee observed that the marriage scandal of Pakistan girls with Chinese men was raised by the Chinese embassy.

Three terrorists killed, soldier among 5 martyred in Gwadar attack: ISPR

No Chinese Christian can marry in Pakistan without the permission of his respective priest, the committee observed. The committee would soon get a detailed briefing from the Federal Investigation Agency.

The committee asked the media to avoid scandalising the issue.

Malik said Pakistani political parties had grave concerns about missing persons.     The political parties wanted to resolve the issue. Malik said he had constituted a Missing Persons Commission during his tenure as interior minister.

Senators Kulsoom Parveen, Javed Abbasi, Chaudhry Tanveer Khan, Haji Momin Khan Afridi, Sardar Muhammad Shafique Khan Tareen, Dr Shahzad Waseem, Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar were in attendance.