The Upper House of parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed the “Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013” that was introduced last week, allowing the government to impose bars on leaders of banned outfits.
On the other hand, legislators questioned the status and lists of the judges holding multiple nationalities, while Senator Raza Rabbani staged a walkout over the issue of construction of technical command and operations center compound at Karachi airport. The members of the upper house of the Parliament met under the chairmanship of Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari on Tuesday. During the Question hour, Minister for State for Communications Dost Mohammad Mazari told the House that due to worsening law and order in Balochistan, the work on various link roads to Gwadar Port remained incomplete, adding that the National Highways Authority (NHA) planned to construct four link roads to Gwadar Port.
Law Minister Farooq H Naik said to a question by Senator Karim Ahmed Khwaja that the Supreme Court did not provide the House with details of pending cases, despite the fact that parliament was supreme.
“The answers would be laid before the members as early as Supreme Court provides the details,” he added.
PML-N Senator M Hamza said 33 cases were still pending of a total 86 cases under trial in the apex court and the court should redress the rest of the cases.
To this, Karim Ahmed Khawaja urged the apex court to resolve the pending cases.
Khawaja asked the law minister to deliver the sentiments of the legislators to the Supreme Court, saying rather that “destabilising” the government, the court should focus on resolving the cases.
Senator Farhatullah Babar pointed out that the high courts and the Supreme Court had not provided answer to a simple question regarding the list of the judges holding dual or multiple nationalities, giving a general impression that judges with multiple nationalities were also sitting in high courts as well as the Supreme Court.
Declaring the response of the question necessary, he was of the view that the matter was on concern. He said the court passed many remarks during the recent hearing of Dr Tahirul Qadri case, adding that if holding multiple nationalities was prohibited for military personnel and government employees, how could it be justified for the judges. Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah from the PML-N said the Supreme Court would not provide any such information, however, the government should seek the particular information from the Presidency.
Senator Dr Babar Awan suggested referring the case to the standing committee concerned, whereas Saeed Ghani from the PPP said observing silence by the apex court on the issues was making things suspicious. Senator Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP was of the view that apparently, there was no ban on holding dual nationality by judges, adding that the parliamentary committee had become non-functional at the moment. He said that judges should also follow the constitution and laws.
Earlier on a point of order, Senator Pervaiz Rashid suggested the minister for interior avoid issuing irresponsible statements of linking the Punjab government with banned outfits.
Awami National Party Senator Daud Achakzai informed the House about the details of former ANP provincial minister Sultan Tareen, following which ANP senators staged a walkout from the session.
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani exchange harsh remarks with the Senate chairman, forcing Rabbani to stage a protest walkout from the session. Also, the Senate unanimously passed “Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013” that was introduced last week, allowing the government to impose bars on leaders of banned outfits. One clause of the new bill says that “if any or all office-bearers of a proscribed organisation form a new organisation under a different name, upon suspicion about their involvement in similar activities, the said organisation shall also be deemed to be a proscribed organisation and the government may issue a formal notification of its proscription”.
