Senate body okays ICT loan interest prohibition bill

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Interior authorised its Chairman Senator Rehman Malik to formulate the motion and move in the Senate. The chairman said that Daesh had claimed responsibility for the attacks and the law enforcement agencies of the country have until now denied their presence. “The government owes an explanation regarding this,” he added.

The Senate committee unanimously approved the Islamabad Capital Territory (ITC) Prohibition of Interest on Private Loan Bills, 2017, which was introduced by the Ameer Jammat-e-Islami, Senator Sirajul Haq. Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan said that unless all Muslims follow Islam in letter and spirit improving the Ummah’s sate will not be possible.

He stressed that interest is against the tenets of Islam and is tantamount to waging war against Allah and His Prophet (PBUH). The committee was briefed by the Islamabad Mayor and CDA Chairman on the action taken against encroachments and other violations in Islamabad Capital Territory. The committee expressed grave concerns about CDA’s demolishing shops, plazas, houses and other places without giving any notice to the alleged grabbers.

However, the Senate Committee Chairman Rehman Malik said who had allowed the encroachmensts in the ICT; indeed, officials of the CDA earlier had allowed people to build shops, plazas, houses and outlets illegally. He said strict actions must be taken against those CDA officers who had issued illegal NOCs and given permission to people to run their business and build houses on the government property.

He said he was annoyed by the CDA action against a foreign food restaurant on Kashmir Highway, which had been approved by the CDA earlier and was demolished without prior notice.

He said that such actions bring bad name to the country and push away foreign investors. Senator Rehman Malik said that this committee will not allow anyone to violate the fundamental rights of the public adding that the committee will investigate and monitor CDA actions against encroachments. He directed the CDA to submit a comprehensive report on the action taken against encroachments and other violations in Islamabad Capital Territory and the numbers and details of people suffered.

He asked to inform the committee who influenced the CDA politically to build buildings illegally. He also directed that FIA would take actions against all those found responsible.

He said that the Committee will be holding public hearing in December to listen and address their reservations on land grabbing, illegal allotment of government property and action against encroachments and will probe the role of CDA officials in the past that how they were able to build properties even outside Pakistan.

In the beginning of the meeting, terrorists’ attacks on Chinese Consulate, Karachi, and deadly blast in Kalaya Bazar, Orakzai, were strongly condemned and fateh was offered for the martyrs of both incidents and condolences were expressed with victim families.