Senate Standing Committee on Interior has approved 'The National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019' to make an effective coordination and contribution by all major stakeholders and recommended the Interior Ministry to prepare a draft of legislation to give a forensic report the status of primary evidence in the courts.
The committee met with Senator A Rehman Malik in the chair here at Parliament House on Tuesday. The committee discussed 'The National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019,' 'The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019' and the issues relevant to abduction and killing of three children in Chunian area of district Kasur as well as alarming situation of dengue fever.
According to objectives and reasons of 'The National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019' there is need to make an effective coordination and contribution by all the major stakeholders including Ministry of Interior and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). For the purpose some amendments are necessary to be incorporated in NACTA Act 2013 to make it more efficient and effective organization.
The Bill proposed that the Authority shall have board of governors comprising; (a) minister in-charge of Interior Division as chairman and members as (b) secretary, interior (c) secretary Defense Division, (d) secretary Law and Justice Division, (e) secretary Finance Division, (f) one senator to be recommended by chairman Senate, (g) one member National Assembly to be recommended by speaker National Assembly, (h) director general Intelligence Bureau, (i) director general Federal Investigation Agency, (j) director general (CT) Inter-Services Intelligence, (k) representative of Directorate General Military Intelligence, (not less than DG), (l) national coordinator of the Authority, (m) home secretaries of the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory(ICT), (n) and inspector general of police of provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, ICT, Gilgit-Baltistan and State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The national coordinator of the Authority shall act as the secretary to the board. The board may invite any person to the meeting on special invitation.
The board shall be assisted by an executive committee comprising national coordinator NACTA as convener and members additional secretary Finance Division, additional secretary Interior Division, additional secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs , additional secretary Ministry of Law and Justice, and additional secretaries home of the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and representative of chief commissioner Islamabad.
While briefing about the abduction and killing of three children in Chunian area of district Kasur, DIG Sohail Habib Tajik told the committee that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test was conducted of 1,734 people and Rs 240 million were spent on it. He said that 43 FIRs have been cancelled out of 71 on child abduction. He said that most of the parents withdrew their FIRs. He said that the house should make legislation that the parents must not withdraw FIR and avoid telling lies against any body. He said that culprits have been arrested on the base of DNA test and their case has been fixed in the court.
He said that forensic report is being taken as secondary evidence and witness as primary evidence. He said that it is need to adopt the application of scientific methods and techniques to investigation of crime. This evidence is very important when no witness is available.
Committee Chairman Rehman Malik appreciated the DIG Sohail Habib for conducting successful inquiry of the abduction and killing of three children in Chunian. The committee also recommended the Interior Ministry to prepare a draft with the help of Law Ministry in which forensic report should be given the status of primary evidence.
The chairman committee recommended that modern techniques should be introduced in identification of culprits of such crimes and directed the Ministry of Interior to establish forensic laboratories in each provincial capital. The committee emphasized that strong legislation must be passed to curb pornography and child abuse.
Answering a question of the committee chairman, the DIG police told the committee that a constable Khakum also played an important role in the investigation and arrest of main culprit.
The committee recommended the promotion of police constable who played active role in identification of the culprit and resolving this case.
While considering suo motu notice taken by chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior regarding alarming increase in the number of dengue patients in Islamabad, Malik directed that the government should immediacy declare dengue as public health epidemic.
It was recommended that measures must be taken at councilor level and committees at street level should be formed so that areas of vulnerability to dengue may be identified in time and necessary measures can be taken accordingly.
It was recommended that measures must be taken to curb this menace on long-term basis to control its further spread. The chairman committee also directed that efforts should be made to prepare dengue vaccine in Pakistan and for this purpose National Institute of Health (NIH) should be tasked. He said that provincial health secretaries must be summoned in the next meeting so that a way forward could be framed to avert and control this epidemic.
While taking up a public petition of Safe City Islamabad project, Malik was of the view that NADRA must try to accommodate the sacked employees of Safe City Project.
The committee also discussed the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and summoned the secretary law in its next meeting for further deliberation on the Bill.
At the outset of the meeting, Malik strongly condemned the ongoing Indian forces' brutalities in Indian-occupied Kashmir and moved a resolution, which was unanimously passed by the committee.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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