Senate panel approves Anti-Terrorism Bill

The Senate standing committee on interior in a meeting on Monday approved “The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020” and recommended to the upper house of parliament to pass the bill as introduced.

The committee in its meeting, chaired by Senator Rehman Malik, considered the bill 2020 introduced by Federal Interior Minister Ijaz Shah. During the meeting, Interior Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar informed the committee that the scope of the application of the penalties needed to be extended to those who were involved in terrorism in any manner outside the boundaries of the country.

The Interior secretary told the committee that the amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) were essential to enhance the effectiveness of the implementation of the orders passed by the federal government under the ATA and the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948.

The committee chairman invited Senator Farooq H Naek to present his amendments to the bill. Malik also offered that the matter of the bill could be finalised on the presentation of the proposed amendments the next day.

Majority of the committee members were of the view that the bill should be passed on presentation and that the amendments should be taken under consideration within 30 days after passage of the bill. Senator Naek expressed his satisfaction on the proposal.

Narcotics Control Minister Senator Azam Khan Swati presented an undertaking that the reservations expressed by Neak should be addressed by bringing the proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Act, 2020 within 30 days.

Senator Javed Abbasi said that there was no need to write the reason of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in the aims and objectives of every bill as “we all have a responsibility to improve our laws in the interest of the country and the nation”.

Later, the committee chairman put the bill for vote and all the members who were present in the meeting voted in favour of the bill. The committee recommended that “The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020” might be passed by the house as introduced.

Malik said that the FATF was putting undue pressure on Pakistan and that he had been raising it again and again that the FATF was discriminating against Pakistan. “We are amending our laws on the will of the FATF, while the FATF has a soft corner for India,” he said.

Committee member Kauda Babar pointed out the problems facing the people of Balochistan. Malik directed the interior ministry to address the issue in consultation with Senator Babar.

The meeting was attended by senators Dr Shehzad Waseem, Kulsoom Parveen, Javed Abbasi, Sardar Shafiq Tareen, Azam Swati, Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Farooq Naik, Kauda Babar and Haji Momin Khan Afridi besides Interior Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar and senior officials concerned.