Senate Standing Committee on Interior
Islamabad, Meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Interior was held here at Parliament House with Senator Mohsin Aziz in Chair.
The Senate Committee deliberated on non-payment of compensation to the victims of landmines in South Waziristan. Senator Dost Muhammad Khan, mover of the matter, apprised that the compensation to landmines victims should be increased from 3 lac to 10 lac and it should also be given retrospectively. Secretary, Home Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,apprised that increase in compensation amount is prerogative of the Cabinet and the matter will be forwarded to the Cabinet in the next fifteen days.
The Senate body was briefed on the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials informed that 495 incidents had occurred in 2022 and 432 in 2023 against the 2582 and 3025 threats in 2022 and 2023 respectively. They further projected that ratio of incidents might be increased in the following year. Moreover, Officials apprised that 1843 Intelligence based Operations have been conducted in these two years and 195 threats have been neutralised and around 602 accused have been arrested so far. Officials remarked that Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department is working tirelessly to ensure an effective board management as it will play a pvitoal role in terror eradication.
Furthermore, the committee taken up the matter of custodial torture and killing of an innocent citizen named Sultan Muhammad, resident of Bajur who was arrested by SHO Chonko Nara, District Khairpur,Sindh on account of non-registration of the citizen with the Police Station. SSP Khairpur apprised that the incident occurred while transporting the accused from court to jail and the chief medical officer identified the ‘Cardio Pulmonary’ failure as the main cause of death. However, the Post Morterm was not conducted due to the relative’s continuous demands. The Committee deferred the deliberations with the direction to conduct Post Morterm of the Sultan Muhammad and decided to invite the relatives of the deceased in the next meeting.
Moreover, the senate committee discussed the sex and drugs of Islamia University Bahawalpur. Officials apprised that the initial inquiry revealed that approximately 10 to 12 university officials were involved in the scandal and around seven accused have been arrested. Senator Mohsin Aziz asked as to when the first case was reported in Police. In reply to that, officials stated that first case was reported in 2019. The Committee Chairman remarked that first case was reported in 2019 and Police has not necessary take action in two years and resultantly unprofessional attitude of Punjab Police has brought humiliation to the whole nation.
While discussing the suicide incident of Rawalpindi citizen who was being blackmailed by representatives of online loan apps. FIA Officials informed that Loan apps came under the ambit of SECP and the accused involved in blackmailing the innocent citizen has been arrested. The Committee inquired as to how much interest has been charged by the loan apps. FIA Officials maintained that around 1800 pc Interest has been charged by the loan apps as the SECP has been fixed an interest ratio for the loan apps. The Committee deferred the deliberations and decided to invite the SECP Officials in the next meeting.
The Committee also deliberated on the reported irregularities in allotments in Senate Secretariat Employees Cooperative Housing Society. One of the affectees apprised that society management has not given possession of the plot purchased in 2015. The Committee directed the society management to provide possession to allottee in the next five days and also directed the Deputy Commissioner to provide detailed briefing on the Senate Cooperative Housing Society in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Senator Saifullah Abro, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, Senator Shahadat Awan, Senator Fawzia Arshad, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Senator Dilawar Khan, Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Dost Muhammad Khan and other senior officers of interior ministry and relevant departments were also in attendance.
