NA standing committee defers torture, custodial death bill till next sitting

NA standing committee defers torture, custodial death bill till next sitting

NA standing committee defers torture, custodial death bill till next sitting

The National Assembly of Pakistan Photo: APP

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ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting on Wednesday approved four bills while it deferred an important bill titled as The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2021.

The committee meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz in the Constitution Room, Parliament House.

The bill titled “The Frontier Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Government Bill)” was presented before the Committee and after detailed discussion, the committee recommended that the Bill may be passed by the National Assembly.

According to the statements of objects and reasons of the bill the rules for Operating Regimental Fund for Welfare of Frontier Corps troops have been prepared in the line with directions of the Public Accounts Committee to evolve a standard and transparent system to incur expenditures under this fund.

The bill “The Pakistan Rangers (Amendment) Bill, 2021” (Government Bill) was presented before the committee, and the committee recommended that the bill may be passed by the National Assembly.

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The committee considered the Bill titled “The Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2021” (Government Bill) and recommended that the Bill may be passed by the National Assembly. The committee considered the Bill titled “The North-West Frontier Constabulary (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Government Bill) and recommended that the Bill may be passed by the National Assembly. The Bill titled “The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2021 (Government Bill)” was presented before the committee and committee decided to defer the bill till its next meeting.

This bill is seeking to ensure protection of citizens either directly or by means of institutional mechanism to its citizens against all kind of torture and right to fair trial.

Moreover, Pakistan a signatory to UN Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both of which protect the right to dignity of any person who has been held in custody. Despite constitutional provisions and guarantees there is no precise definition or penalization of acts of torture within a criminal law regime of Pakistan. Therefore, the object of the bill is to criminalize and prevent act of torture, custodial death and custodial rape committed against persons held in custody by public officials, and to provide redress to victims of such acts.

The issues relating to allotment in National Assembly Cooperative Housing Society were discussed by the Committee. The Committee was informed that most of the allotment issues have been resolved. The Committee directed Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and CDA to resolve the issues of the said society.

A sub-committee was constituted under the convener-ship of Sardar Talib Hassan Nakai, MNA with Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak,. Maryam Aurangzaib, and Malik Karamat Ali Khokhar as members to examine “The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Section 17) (moved by Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani, MNA)”; domiciles of Islamabad issued during the last six months and appointments of Naib Qasid in Ministry of Interior.
The committee discussed the issue of encroachment on Lehtrar road Islamabad, and expressed concerns over uneffective performance of anti-encroachment drive of CDA. The committee directed the Member Admn CDA to visit Lehtrar road and submit report to the Committee.

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The committee took serious notice of the column written by Muhammad Sabahud Din on November 29, 2021, in the daily Nawa-i-Waqat about underperformance of Parliament and decided to call him in next meeting.

The committee discussed the petition of MCI & CDA parking area contractors, and directed the Ministry to make some policy to compensate the contractors, whose business was affected due to COVID-19.

Members and movers including Sher Akber Khan, Sardar Talib Hassan Nakai, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, Nawabzada Shazain Bugti, Malik Sohail Khan, Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, Nadeem Abbas, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Syed Agha Rafiullah, Abdul Qadir Patel, Ali Nawaz Awan and the senior officers from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Punjab Police, District Administration Rawalpindi, Capital Development Authority, Frontier Constabulary attended the meeting.

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