The Senate Standing Committee on Interior Friday expressed annoyance over the absence of Director General (DG) Immigration and Passport (I&P) and ordered him to ensure his presence in the next meeting; otherwise, the committee will take strict action against him.
"The committee has summoned DG I&P Ishrat Ali four times but he did not spare time to attend the meeting," said Senator Rehman Malik while presiding over the meeting. "The DG Passport is considering himself above the Parliament but he does not know that I have the powers to take action against him," he said.
Mailk said he will order his (DG) arrest if he does not ensure his presence during the next meeting. "I will move a privilege motion against the DG Passport," he said.
Director I&P informed the meeting that the DG had gone to Gujrat for a necessary assignment. On this Malik angrily said if there was any necessary assignment, the DG should have sent a director level officer there.
"The DG Passport is considering him such a big officer that he does not feel it appropriate to give reply to the committee," he said, adding that that was last warning for him and if he did not appear before the committee then he should be ready to face action.
The committee also recommended bringing a new Civil Defence Act to improve capacity of Civil Defence in the country. The parliamentary body also recommended to increase the budget of Civil Defence. Civil Defence should be made part of National Action Plan (NAP), the committee observed.
The parliamentary body set up a subcommittee comprising Senators Dr Shahzad Waseem and Kalsoom Parveen to make suggestions for review of Civil Defence Act and bringing improvement in the department.
DG Civil Defence Hanif Khattak while briefing the committee said that the main jobs of his department include formulation of civil defence policy, planning, coordination with provincial civil defence departments, advising provincial civil defence departments and arrangement of specialised training on civil defence for different segments of society.
He said that his department maintained close coordination with International Civil Defence Organisation and participates in the events organised by the ICDO. "Pakistan is a member of ICDO General Assembly and Executive Counsel," he said.
Khattak said his department had 10 training institutions across the country and imparted trainings from one to three months. "Currently his department has only 15,000 volunteers while in 1980 the number of volunteers was 150,000," he said.
Malik said DG Civil Defence should be sent to Turkey to study civil defence system there and apply it in Pakistan.
The committee strongly condemned the terror incident at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and offered prayer for the victims.
Malik said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the sad incident of terrorism. "I was saddened to learn about the tragic loss of lives in the mosques at Christchurch. I would like to offer my deepest gratitude on your support to the victim families in the incident of terrorism. You have demonstrated historic role by showing solidarity towards the Muslim community in your country," said the letter.
"The Muslim world in particular and the entire world in general has appreciated your highly visionary steps to strengthen the interfaith harmony," it further said.
The committee expressed concerns over the acquittal of four accused of the Samjhauta Express bombing case and directed the Interior Ministry to take up the matter of acquittal internationally in coordination with the Foreign Office.
Malik also took notice of police crackdown against Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) workers during appearance of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari before NAB team in connection with fake bank accounts scam. "I have asked from the police under which law workers of PPP have been arrested," he said, adding it was the constitutional right of political workers to stage protest and show solidarity with their leadership.
He said police were responsible if any mismanagement occurred on the occasion. "During Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sit-in, party workers barged into Parliament House but neither was any party worker arrested nor did police resort to baton-charge," he said.
"I have asked police to produce complete details regarding the incident before the committee and if I find any misuse of authority or any law, I will summon police high-ups," he said.
A senior official of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police briefed in detail about the incident of rape and killing of a three-year-old girl in Havelian, Abbottabad. "More than 800 DNA samples have been taken so far from the area including details of everyone who visited the area in any connection on that day," he said.
The committee directed police to come up with concrete progress into the case within three weeks; otherwise, it will recommend naming station house officer (SHO) and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in the first information report (FIR).
The parliamentary body also recommended getting the video footage of the area of that day by taking it up with Google through provincial government. The committee members called for a national database on such cases because many of such cases go unreported. Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Muhammad Azam Swati and Dr Shahzad Waseem, and senior officials from Ministry of Interior also attended the meeting.
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