ISLAMABAD – The move of the Federal Interior Minister, Rehman Malik on Tuesday to pass Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2010 in haste from the Upper House was unanimously flayed by the legislators saying the Bill of national importance could not be accepted without debate.
The Interior Minister who introduced the Bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was of the view that it might be passed while suspending the rules of the business, as new inflexible laws were necessary for strong prosecution against the accused involved in terrorism activities.
The Senators, both from the treasury as well as opposition benches while criticising the move of the Minister said that there was no need to suspend the rules as the law in practice for more than a decade could not be amended within minutes. Chairman Senate, Jan Mohammad Jamali remarked that there was need to deeply see the amendments in the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 fearing that it might not be used against the legislators for political victimisation.
The Chairman Senate taking the sense of the house referred the Bill to the concerned standing committee for recommendations and sought some input as well from some senior legislators on it. The house will debate on the Bill after getting recommendation from the committee probably on Monday.
The government informed the Upper House that 100,000 settlers have moved from Balochistan to other places and that hidden hand is responsible for the violence in the province.
The Senators belonging to Balochistan, Abdul Malik Baloch, Abdul Raheem Mandokhel and Hasil Bazenjo walked out from the house as a protest during question hour over the remarks of Interior Minister. They said that the Minister had used the words of illiterate and ineligible about Baloch youth. They protested when Rehman Malik while answering a question said that the Federal Government was giving the due share to Balochistan in quota of employments despite the fact that literacy rate in the province was low.
Later, Interior Minister while winding up the debate on the target killings all over the country and especially in Balochistan urged the need to ban the parallel armies and liberation forces working in the province. He categorically said that the people of Balochistan themselves as well as foreign hands were involved in the insurgency in the province. The Minister clearly mentioned four organizations – Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Lashker-e-Balochistan, and said that these were working as parallel forces. He said that there were underline facts that these parallel forces wanted to disintegrate the country. About the involvement of foreign hands, he said, “I have kept the number of issues on the table during my recent meeting with the Indian Interior Minister”. He while pointing towards foreign involvement in the insurgency in province commented that “let me make it public what is the source of income of Brahamdagh Bughti”.
“The settlers in Balochistan are being forced to migrate”, the Minister said. He viewed that pro-Pakistani Baloch leaders were being murdered to run the anti-Pakistan movement in the province. “I have credible information about the involvement of a group working in Balochistan headed by Dr Allah Nazir in the murder of Maula Bukhsh Dashti,” he added. The Minister firmly said that he could prove that liberation armies (parallel forces) were killing innocent people. Rehman Malik said that he could apprise the house about the whole situation during in camera briefing. Shahid Bugti wanted to comment on the speech of Interior Minister before the house was adjourned to meet again today (Wednesday) at 4:30 pm.