Senate session: Malik calls for forming judicial commission on Sahiwal killings

ISLAMABAD: Presenting the interim report of the Senate Committee on Interior on the Sahiwal killings in the Senate Thursday, its Chairman Senator Abdul Rehman Malik reinforced the committee’s demand that a judicial commission be constituted immediately in the larger interest of natural justice.

Senator Malik said the committee while condemning the role of CTD officials, appreciated the role of the army, the Rangers, FC and the law-enforcement agencies in countering terrorism sacrificing their lives for the last two decades. He said, “The nation stands indebted to the heroes of the nation, who have protected their motherland by offering unprecedented sacrifices.”

The committee report recommended for the improvement in the criminal justice system and proposals to avoid recurrence of any such incident in future, also recommending a welfare plan for the children of the victim family.

While speaking in the Senate on the matter, Senator Malik said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, demanding of him on the behalf of the committee for the constitution of judicial commission to probe matter of killing of four people by a team of CTD near Sahiwal on January 19, 2019.

In his letter the senator has written to prime minister that consequent to a media report regarding killing of four persons by a team of CTD officials near Sahiwal on 19 January 2019, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, while taking serious notice of the incident, requested the Ministry of Interior on 20th January, 2019 to provide information on the incident. Thereafter, this matter was again discussed/taken up by the committee in its meeting held on 21st January 2019 and the recommendations of the committee were submitted to the Chairman Senate to be placed before the House.

Senator Malik writes, “On January 19, 2019, however, Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi raised the matter of point of public importance in the House regarding killing of four persons by a team of CTD officials near Sahiwal. The chairman of the Senate, keeping in view the discussions in the House and the letter submitted by the committee in the matter, announced his ruling of the chair.” “Killing of four people and injuring minor children by a team of CTD officials near Sahiwal on 19-01-2019 is a matter of sufficient public importance which has sent a wave of resentment all over the country. Therefore, the matter is referred to Senate Standing Committee on Interior with directions to probe the facts and fix the responsibility on those who acted beyond their legal mandate. The committee is also directed to suggest a plan for the welfare of the children as well,” he wrote.

Senator Malik writes, “it was a unanimous decision of the members of Senate Standing Committee on Interior who are consisting of senators from all the parties as well as the demands of the families of the victims that the government must ensure a just, impartial and speedy justice to the victims and their families in accordance with the law.

He said that he was thankful to chairman Senate and all members of the committee for providing cooperation and extending full support to the committee in probing the matter. He thanked secretary Senate for providing transport to the victim families of Sahiwal incident in their transportation from Lahore to Islamabad to attend the committee meeting.

Meanwhile, raising a calling attention notice, PPP parliamentary leader Senator Sherry Rehman alleged the government was pushing the country towards a morass and said the worst thing for government was its indecision and inability to move forward in relation to crucial economic matters.

Sherry said, “our external and domestic debt of Rs36 billion, which was previously Rs10 billion, is piling up on a daily basis. Our domestic debt has risen by 5.5% since June 2018, while external debt has risen by 17%. Now, the government has resorted to borrowing Rs400 billion from Islamic banks to ease circular debt pressures. This is what the kashkol sarkar has done to Pakistan in seven months.”

Billing the government as ‘selfie sarkar’, she made it clear the country could not be run on debts and the government was doing exactly that, overburdening the economy with debt. “They are leading the economy towards a dangerous pitfall, to a point of no return. The government’s revenues are much lower than its expenses, leading to a budget deficit. They made tall claims of ridding the country of debt and make Pakistan sovereign but that’s only possible if they can show how they met the expenses from the resources they had at their disposal. That is what the budget exercise is all about,” she asserted.

“The ship of Pakistan is drifting on a deep, dark and dangerous sea and we have no answers. The public and investors are asking serious questions, everyone knows that indecision is the worst thing that can happen to an economy and they seem oblivious to this. It is time for them to realise that they are in government now. Instead of pointing fingers and blaming past governments, tell us what you plan of action is,” she continued.

She regretted that from day one, the top ministers preferred to go to talk shows and explain to TV anchors rather than coming to the Parliament. “There is still no explanation for the recent rupee crash against the dollar, which created an additional Rs1500 billion external loan for the country. It is unfortunate that despite the Senate’s consistent invitations through proper instruments that seek their presence by name, ministers have shown no inclination to attend sessions or important meetings. When a minister shows up in Parliament, it is an act of respect to the House and the nation. The ones we have running our ministries today could not even be bothered to offer an excuse for their absence, she noted.”

Reacting to the laying of an ordinance in the House pertaining to election in erstwhile tribal areas, she remarked, “We all maintain that Fata should be facilitated. However, this should have been presented, deliberated and debated in the Parliament in the form of a bill. The Senate is currently in session, the National Assembly is also going to be in session in a few days, then why is the government going for ordinances one after the other? If they want to bypass the Parliament and continue to disrespect democratic norms, then we should just all go home.”

Responding to the notice, Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar informed the House that the government was taking concrete steps to take the economy on the right path by enhancing exports of the country and results of these would be before the nation soon.

The minister pointed out that the economy, PTI government inherited was not of Sweden, Switzerland and the trade deficit only was historic dollars 37 billion, whereas the national economy’s size was of dollars 290 billion. He added the fiscal deficit was Rs2300 billion, whereas the government had to pay Rs1946 billion alone as interest. He continued the circular debt was increased from Rs400 billion to Rs1400 billion during the last five years.

He pointed out that the previous government added Rs400 billion to the circular debt in eight months. The minister explained that $9 billion of the Paris Club were to be retired. He noted the past governments had relied on loans from 1971 to 2018 while the growth had been lowest.

The minister expressed the confidence that increase in export and decrease in imports would be witnessed in January’s statistics while the current account and trade deficit be reduced due to prudent policies of the government.

He said the domestic and external borrowing was marginally less as compared to the last year.

Taking part in the budget debate, the National Party Senator Tahir Bizenjo alleged the government had no vision to tackle issues and claimed that according to information, the government was handing over Gwadar Port to China and Reko Diq to Saudi Arabia against financial assistance. He urged the government to make a statement on this whether or not, this information was correct. He also demanded that the House should be informed by the finance minister on what conditions, how much loans were being obtained.