Cabinet approves bill to tackle terrorists, financers

The federal cabinet on Wednesday accorded approval to two bills aimed at tightening the noose around terrorists, their facilitators, collaborators and abettors by plugging the gaps and removing flaws in the laws related to properly prosecuting militants involved in terrorism and other related activities.
The cabinet accorded approval to the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2012, concerning terrorism financing and while “Investigation for Fair Trial Bill,2012” was also considered by the cabinet besides giving approval to draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2012 and Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill.
The legislation is long overdue as terrorists after being arrested have been successful in taking advantage of the legal flaws to get bails from courts. The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was approved by the cabinet, provides for addressing flaws relating to the terrorism financing provisions in the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997. The bill strengthens the provisions creating the offence of terrorism financing; covering all aspects of the offence in the light of international standards and provides for more effective measures for law enforcement agencies to investigate the offence.
Provisions on freezing, seizing and forfeiture of property involved in the terrorism financing offence have been strengthened to ensure that the funding of the terrorism financing offence is detected and seized after due process of law. The cabinet also discussed in depth the “Investigation for Fair Trial Bill, 2012” and gave its approval with certain amendments. The bill provides for investigation for collection of evidence by means of modern techniques and devices to prevent and effectively deal with scheduled offence and to regulate the powers of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies and to prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from using their powers arbitrarily. It was felt necessary to regulate the said powers and provide for their permissible and fair uses in accordance with law and under proper executive and judicial oversight keeping in view Article 10A.
It will also provide for admissibility and use of the material collected during investigation under the present law in judicial proceedings and all other legal proceedings or processes to ensure fair trial.
Electricity pilferage: The cabinet also approved a bill on Offenses and Penalties relating to Electricity Amendments in the PPC, CrPC and Electricity Act 1910.
The Ministry of Water & Power is faced with a situation whereby recoveries affected by the distribution companies from the consumers are insufficient and inadequate to meet the cost of generated electricity.
As a result, the government of Pakistan has to provide subsidy especially to those distribution companies where leakages, pilferage and thefts are rampant. Primarily, this phenomenon emanates from fragile legal and enforcement structure.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2012 enumerates offence of dishonest abstraction, illegal interference or tampering with transmission and distribution power systems with penalty of rigorous imprisonment which may extend to three years and fine which may extend to ten million rupees for transmission offence and two years and three million rupees, respectively for distribution offence.
Similarly, offence against improper use, interference or tampering with electric meters by domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural consumers has been included.
The penalties for such offence may extend to one year or fine which may extend to, one million rupees or both in case of domestic consumers, and three years or fine which may extend to six million rupees or both in case of industrial, commercial and agricultural consumers.
Moreover, offence for damaging, destroying or destructing the transmission lines, distribution lines or electric meters have been specified with punishment of up to seven years imprisonment and with fine which shall not be less than three million rupees.
The cabinet considered the report of the committee examining the issue of seats of non-Muslims in the legislature. A number of proposals were made by the members of the cabinet and it was decided that the committee would present its final report to the cabinet in the light of the recommendations made by the ministers.
At the onset of meeting, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf reiterated the government’s resolve to confront the challenges of energy shortage and the scourge of terrorism with all available resources of the state.
He said he would like to convey the strong resolve of the government to overcome the challenges being faced by the people of Pakistan.
The prime minister also asked the provincial government of Balochistan to implement Supreme Court’s verdict in order to improve law and order in the province.
He assured that the federal government would extend all out assistance to the Balochistan government and all possible measures would be taken for improvement of law and order, not only in Balochistan but throughout the country.
The PM said he appeared personally before the Supreme Court in the contempt case for allegedly not implementing apex court’s decision in the NRO case, adding that the appearance was a testimony to the respect held for courts.
“The government, its coalition partners, and the Supreme Court jointly want to resolve the issue pertaining to non-implementation of apex court’s verdict in the NRO case according to the law and constitution,” the prime minister said.