Rehman Malik-led Senate body condemns Indian General’s statement

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting on Friday unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning the statement of Indian

General Bipin Rawat wherein he has stated that Kashmiri children to be put into de-radicalization camps.

The meeting was chaired by Senator Abdul Rehman Malik and was attended by Senator Talha Mehmood, Senator Kulsoom Parveen, Senator Muhammad

Javed Abbasi, Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, and Senator Shahzad Waseem. Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati Federal Minister for Parliamentary

Affairs, Secretary Law and Justice and other senior officers from the Ministry for Interior and ICT administration also attended the meeting.

At the outset, Senator A. Rehman Malik strongly condemned the ongoing Indian forces brutalities in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the anti-Muslim mindset of

Indian government and forces. He said that earlier Indian army officer and leader of BJP Maj General (R) SP Sinha in a statement had justified the rapes of

Kashmiri women in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and now the General Bipin Rawat is justifying crimes against innocent Kashmiri children.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior moved the resolution which was unanimously adopted by the members. He read the resolution as “The

Senate Standing Committee on Interior strongly condemns the statement of Indian General Bipin Rawat wherein he has stated Kashmiri children to be put into

de-radicalization camps. This is another human rights violation to shift and restrict the innocent Kashmiri children in isolated camps as part of cleansing of

Muslim population after scraping the special status of Kashmir. The Committee also condemns the ongoing brutalities against oppressed Kashmiris by the

Indian Forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir.’’

Senator A. Rehman Malik said that statement of Indian Army General clearly reflects the extremist mentality of RSS. He said that rather the innocent Kashmiri

Children to be put into de-radicalization camps, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet and Army generals should be put into de-radicalization

camps as the RSS has radicalized them.

Senate Standing Committee on Interior considered the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill, 2020 and unanimously approved it after detailed

deliberations. The Bill was considered and discussed in the committee meeting yesterday however for further deliberation on the bill, the meeting continued on

the second day as per the request of the members and the government. All the factors and aspects related to FATF and the requirement of such a Bill for FATF

were discussed thoroughly. Committee shown its reservations on certain clauses of the bill and few amendments were proposed by Senator Javed Abbasi and

Senator M. Talha Mahmood while Senator Sardar Shafiq Tareen and Senator Kalsoom Parveen also endorsed both.

Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem however proposed that the bill may be passed in view of the requirements of FATF body as the case of Pakistan to be heard on

20th January 2020 and the government has to inform this enactment to FATF. Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo stated that Parliament is a supreme forum to

discuss all aspects of the legislation to be introduced by the government. The government should not try to find out shortcuts on the pretext of such hasty

legislation. The majority of the members expressed their concerns that the authority should not be given to one individual for implementation of Section 21 of

the Bill. The Committee agreed to approve the Bill on the basis of commitment and undertaking given by Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, Minister for

Parliamentary Affairs on behalf of the government who undertook that the Bill “The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill, 2020” will be brought

back to the House with amendments proposed by Senator M. Javed Abbasi and Senator Talha Mahmood on the Bill within 60 days.

The Chairman Committee constituted a Sub-Committee with its head Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi with two members to look into the long outstanding

issueless and violation of CDA by laws in E/11,E12 and Kashmir Road. The sub-committee to hold meetings with the local inhabitants and the CDA

authorities and report the issues, violation and action so far taken.