Senate body asks govt to call Saarc moot to discuss COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting on Thursday advised the government to call and host the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) moot to discuss the coronavirus outbreak and formulate a common counter coronavirus strategy.

In this regard, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Abdul Rehman Malik moved the resolution which was adopted by the committee unanimously. He read the resolution, “The Senate Standing Committee on Interior strongly recommends that Saarc moot may be called to formulate ‘Saarc Common Counter-Coronavirus Strategy’ to combat the COVID-19 effectively in the Saarc countries and to check the flow of coronavirus patients and its effects on law enforcements and national security in Saarc countries.”

The meeting held on Thursday with the chair of its Chairman Senator Abdul Rehman. The meeting discussed in detail various bills presented to the Committee for review and reconsideration; these included the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2020; the Islamabad Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2020; the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or under Custodial Investigation Bill, 2020 and the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Ordinance no VI).

The Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Interior presented their views on the legislation.

The Committee, after a detailed deliberation, passed the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2020; the Islamabad Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2020; the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020; and the Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or under Custodial Investigation Bill, 2020.

However the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Ordinance no VI) was deferred.

The meeting strongly condemned the continuous ceasefire violations by Indian forces at Line of Control (LoC), targeting civilian population, sending spy drones in Pakistani territory and killing of 35 Kashmiri youth in state violence against Muslims in India and Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

The committee showed serious concerns over the rapid increase in positive cases of coronavirus and deaths because of the virus across the country. The committee offered Fateha for those who lost their lives while combating COVID-19 and expressed sympathies with their bereaved families. Committee also paid rich tribute to doctors, nurses, and paramedics, Pakistan Army, Police and other LEAs for serving the nation day and night in these difficult moments of pandemic.

Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati on the behalf of the government highly applauded and recognized the efforts of Rehman Malik for his efforts to remove Pakistan name from FATF’s Grey List.

He said that because of his tireless efforts, Pakistan received a relief of five months from FATF in the most difficult time of pandemic.

At the start of the meeting Rehman Malik said that the committee had held an emergency meeting on February 27th, 2020 on coronavirus after assessing its spread in Pakistan soon after its outbreak in China and Iran and had formulated a comprehensive 37-points Anti-Coronavirus National Action Plan well on time before it spread across the country.

Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Major General Aamer Ikram also briefed the committee about the measures so far taken to combat coronavirus.

Rehman Malik directed that the testing capacity must be increased as the senators from Balochistan expressed that testing facility is not available for people in their respective areas.

Rehman Malik, on the public petition submitted by Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi, directed that in Islamabad all traders must ensure that full salaries are paid to their employees and that the traders should be given a relief to pay half rent to the owner of their shops or building in the markets of Islamabad. He directed Deputy Commissioner to issue a notification that traders to pay full salaries to their employees and the tenants will pay half rent as during the lockdown business was halted across the country.

The committee also discussed in detail the prevailing situation of unrest in Balochistan after the killing of a boy from one tribe followed by the murder of another boy from accused tribe.

He said that he has already discussed the matter with Inspector General Police Balochistan who informed him that all those who were involved in the killing of boy were arrested and a JIT was formed to investigate the matter in detail to unearth the motives.

Chaired by Senator A Rehman Malik, the meeting was attended by Senator Azam Khan Swati Federal Minister for Narcotic Control, Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Senator Muhammad Kauda Babar, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Senator Dr. Sehehzad Waseem, Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Senator Kalsoom Parveen, Secretary Interior, Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Major General Aamer Ikram, Executive Director PIMS and senior officials from the Ministry of Interior, Health, NIH, PIMS, Police with all concerned.