PHOTO: FILE
Sabeen was gunned down in Karachi in late April as she drove home after organizing a seminar on missing persons in Balochistan where Baloch activist Mama Qadeer was the chief guest.
The Senate, which was renamed as the ‘House of Federation’ on Wednesday, unanimously adopted a resolution hailing her courage. Moved by MQM’s Senator Nasreen Jalil, the resolution stated that “She (Sabeen) offered a public place in the form of T2F (The Second Floor) for dissenting voices. This house salutes her courage.”
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar, in a call to attention notice, emphasized on the need for legislation which brings intelligence agencies under the ambit of the law so as to protect them from uncalled for and unsubstantiated allegations of involvement in extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances and grave human rights violations.
He said that the commission on enforced disappearances had also asked for bringing agencies under the ambit of the law and, taking forward its report, the Senate committee on human rights had last year proposed a draft legislation for the purpose. The draft legislation, Babar said, had been forwarded to the government which had yet to respond.
“The most important thing was to bring all 33 intelligence agencies under the ambit of law”, the PPP senator said, adding that unless this is done, fingers would continue to be raised towards intelligence agencies. “To peg Sabeen’s assassination case, intelligence agencies should be brought under the law. The issue is not of un–silencing Balochistan but of un-silencing Pakistan.”
Calling for investigation of incidents of kidnapping, kill and dump in Balochistan to be investigated and addressed, Babar said reports of various commissions set up in the past to investigate various incidents of grave nature, including the raid on Osama Bin Laden (OBL) hideout in Abbottabad, the assassination of journalist Saleem Shahzad and the long forgotten “Ojehry Ammunition Depot’ fire in Rawalpindi should be made public.
“Un-silencing Balochistan requires un-silencing Pakistan that requires two demands-to bring intelligence agencies under the ambit of law and make public all reports of commissions,” he concluded.
Sheikh Aftab, the state minister for parliamentary affairs, responding to a call to attention notice claimed that Sindh Police and Rangers was doing its best to bring peace in Karachi. He added that a reward worth Rs2 million had been announced for information that would lead to the arrest of Sabeen’s murderers.
Senate gets a new logo
The Senate on Wednesday unveiled its new logo and name of ‘House of the Federation’.
Senate condemns Texas sacrilegious cartoon contest
The House of Federation adopted another unanimous resolution condemning the bid to malign Islam and the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) through a contest of sacrilegious cartoons.
Moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, it criticised hate speeches against Islam at an event in Texas and urged the government to take up the issue at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHR) to prevent such acts in future.
“Blasphemy of sacred personalities and religions in the name of freedom of expression might be banned by introducing legislation like that on Holocaust,” the resolution says. It added that freedom of expression must not be misused.
Deputy Chairman Maulana Ghafoor Haideri asked for summoning the US ambassador in Pakistan to the Foreign Office to record protest against the blasphemous event. Barrister Muhammad Saif of MQM underlined the importance of practical steps against blasphemous publications, saying the government should move a similar resolution in the UN General Assembly for seeking action against blasphemous acts.
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