Senate proceedings: PPP senator backs tough laws to curb terrorism

Faisal Raza Abidi urges government to introduce legislations to get rid of terrorists roaming free.

ISLAMABAD:

Only tougher laws can curb terrorism, said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Faisal Raza Abidi during Senate proceedings on Thursday.

“Fresh legislation is needed to curb militancy. De-weaponisation has become inevitable to restrain target killings in Karachi,” said Abidi.

He went on to urge the government to introduce new laws to get rid of the thousands of terrorists roaming freely due to flaws in the existing laws on terrorism.

“If there is any flaw in existing laws against terrorists, why don’t we abolish them through fresh legislation,” Abidi said while speaking on point of order to discuss the law and order situation in the country with particular reference to target killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan, Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan.

“By collective efforts, we can defeat this mindset,” he added.

It was the second day of debate on the motion moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Syed Tahir Mashhadi and Senator Hamza of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Senate Question Hour

Meanwhile, the government again succeeded in avoiding a debate on the dual nationality issue, as Interior Minister Rehman Malik in a message to the Senate chairman informed the House that he could not attend the proceedings due to ill health. But as the question hour winded up and interior ministry related questions were deferred, Malik came to the House and assured that he would attend the session on Monday.

Meanwhile, PPP Senator Sughra Imam sought an answer from the defence ministry regarding the employment of dual nationals in the armed forces. To which, the defence ministry said the data of such individuals was being collected.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2012.