Senators call for unity in fighting terror

Dar says PM to visit Balochistan this week to assess situation on ground

ISLAMABAD:

Senators strongly condemned the recent incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and vowed to confront this menace with determination and unity, stressing that there would be no talks with those resorting to violence on any pretext.

At the outset of the 342nd Senate session, chaired by Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, the house debated the terrorist assaults in Balochistan on Monday in which dozens of civilians and security personnel were martyred. The house offered Fateha for the deceased.

Calling for a debate on the terrorist attacks, Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz demanded of the government to brief the lawmakers on the prevailing law and order situation in Balochistan. He said that the Balochistan issue needed to be addressed through effective measures.

Leader of the House Ishaq Dar called for an in-depth review of the issue and suggested the formation of a committee of the house to probe the matter. He urged parliament to collectively devise a way forward to overcome the prevailing unrest in the province.

Dar announced that the interior minister had reached Balochistan to examine the ground situation, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would visit the province in two or three days to review the law and order situation there.

He said that every Pakistani was sad over the bloodshed and the matter was discussed in detail in the cabinet. He added that it was necessary to rise above political differences and resolve the problems facing the country.

Taking part in the debate, former caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar said that it was the nation's war and not of the individual institutions. "This is not a fight between Baloch and Punjabi," he said. He suggested formation of a committee of all parties on the issue.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Parliamentary leader Irfan Ahmad Siddiqui said that those committing terrorism did not deserve any concession. "Our goal should be to end terrorism," he emphasised.

He said that different acts of terrorism were committed in the country, some in the name of religion, some in the name of language, and some in the name of freedom. "A committee should be formed to give actionable suggestions to fight this menace of terrorism," he said.

He stressed the need for bringing behavioural change through improved national curriculum, better use of mass communication and social media tools to disrupt inimical elements, who were promoting extremism in society and misleading the young generation.

Parliamentary leader of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Sherry Rehman said there was no distinction between terrorists as good or bad as any hostile elements picking up weapons against the state were terrorists and the enemy of the country.

"My question is who the terrorists are? It was said that they are our children. Yesterday's children became terrorists. There are no good or bad terrorists, there should be no negotiations with terrorists," she said, stressing that the anti-terror National Action Plan (NAP) must be implemented.

Parliamentary leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) Aimal Wali Khan said that the events in Balochistan were painful. Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) said that the recent bloodshed in Balochistan had badly impacted peace and stability of the province.

Saifullah Abro of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the incidents of terrorism must be taken seriously. He asserted that a terrorist must be declared a terrorist, without going into the good Taliban or the bad Taliban debate.

He also mentioned the martyrdom of 11 policemen in Rahim Yar Khan district of Punjab, saying that the entire government machinery was after the PTI, while the law and order situation was deteriorating in the country.

Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur of the PTI said there was no second thought about taking terrorists to task with iron hands. The State and the armed forces of the country, the police force, and the law-enforcement agencies were fully capable of stemming terrorism from the country, she added.

 

Legislation

The Senate passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024 with a majority. The house also approved another bill to amend the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Both bills were moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb moved the Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Deposit Protection Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The chair referred both the bills to the committee concerned.

Also four reports were presented in the house by the relevant committees. The reports pertained to the Bill for the establishment of Wapda University Islamabad; the National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2024, a calling attention notice regarding delay in the completion of Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway Project and the Annual Report of the Federal Public Service Commission for the Year 2022.

The session was adjourned until Friday.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)