Senate panel condemns Indian minister's anti-Pakistan statement

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning Indian Home Minister's anti-Pakistan statement, asking the government of Pakistan to summon the Indian High Commissioner on the issue and urged the UN to take notice of it. The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control met with Senator Rehman Malik in the chair.
The chairman of the committee moved a resolution against Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh for his highly condemnable anti-Pakistan statement. The committee unanimously passed the resolution and condemned Indian PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh for their anti- Pakistan statements and moves. The resolution passed unanimously by the committee said: "We strongly condemn the statement of Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh, wherein he has threatened to break Pakistan into 10 pieces. The statement validates Pakistan's claim of Indian interference into its internal matters. We consider it against our national integrity and against the diplomatic norms. We demand our government to summon the Indian High Commissioner in the wake of Indian Home Minister's anti-Pakistan statement, which is highly objectionable and condemnable. We also urge the international community and the UN to take serious notice of aggressive statements by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh."
The in-camera briefing was given by capital police regarding Dr Shahid Nawaz Murder case. Rehman Malik directed the police to satisfy the victim family and investigate the case as per the satisfaction of the heirs. He also directed the police officials that challan should be finalised within six weeks. Malik requested Minister of State for Interior Baligh-ur-Rehman to announce a reward of Rs 2.5 million for the informer if he/she leads the investigation team to the arrest of the murderers. In addition, a reward may be announced for the police officer who resolves the case, he added.
The Senate Standing Committee on Interior was briefed by director Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on drug addiction in colleges/schools. The director told the committee that so far not a single case of drug addiction is reported from the government schools in the Islamabad Capital Territory. However, the briefing by Dr Waseem, Dean of Faculty of Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, was highly thought-provoking and depressing, who fearlessly briefed the committee about the rise and open supply of drugs in the university premises. He informed the committee that the university administration has already been reported about the growing uncontrolled crime in the university, but no action has been taken so far.
He further told the committee that the university is lacking boundary wall and the encroachers have built their houses on the university land and these houses either belong to drug suppliers or their supporters. The dean told the committee that it is impossible for the university administration to control the drug addiction and supply, as police and other concerned are showing no interest in the matter despite repeated complaints.
Malik expressed grave concern over the facts and said he is shocked to know about the free supply of drugs in the university and lack of security during such a dangerous situation of terrorism. He directed the secretary interior to immediately set a police check post in the university and deploy cops to act against criminals involved in drug selling.
He also directed the secretary narcotics and DG ANF to conduct a combing operation in the university against the drug suppliers. Malik said, "If we cannot protect our youth today, certainly we are pushing our future in darkness." In view of alarming situation, a meeting has been summoned in the first week of January wherein all provincial home secretaries, education secretaries, IGs and officials of ANF are directed to brief the committee about drugs addiction in their respective provinces and the measures they have taken so far to control it.
Malik also directed the Private School Regulatory Authority (PERA) and NGOs working on drugs to attend the next meeting on the said subject. Malik and other members of the committee expressed their concern over presence of 7.2 million drug addicts in the country. During the meeting, the officials of Anti-Narcotics Force informed the committee that major supply of the drugs is coming from Afghanistan.
Expressing concerns on supply of drugs from Afghanistan, Malik said that the committee strongly condemns the government of Afghanistan and urges the international community to help enable Afghanistan to stop the drug supply to Pakistan. He also said on one hand Afghanistan is supplying deaths to Pakistan in the shape of terrorism while on the other it is supplying drugs. The committee was also briefed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Grand Hyatt Hotel issue and criminal involvement of Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials in the case.
Malik appreciated the chairman CDA for cancelling the agreement of Grand Hyatt Hotel and asked the attorney general of Pakistan to help the FIA in stay vacating as soon as possible. He also asked the attorney general of Pakistan to provide a competent lawyer to the FIA in this matter, which is of national interest.