The government on Monday introduced a bill in the National Assembly to adopt stringent measures against terrorism financing by removing shortcomings in the existing law.
Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah moved the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2012 that was admitted by the House for further consideration by the standing committee concerned.
The bill reflects the government’s resolve to constantly review and strengthen its anti-terrorism-financing regime and to bring it at par with international standards.
The bill addresses the shortcomings relating to the terrorist financing provisions in the existing Anti-terrorism Act 1997 that were highlighted by the Financial Action Task Force – an international body comprising a number of countries and international organisations which sets and monitors international standards on anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism.
The bill also aims at amending the existing law to strengthen the provision concerning the offences of terrorism financing and to provide more effective enforcement measures against such offences.
It would also pave way for the law enforcement agencies to take effective actions against those who finance acts of terrorism and benefit from the proceeds of such acts.
Senate unanimously approves ASF bill
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production unanimously approved the bill ‘Airports Security Force (Amendment) Bill 2012’. The meeting was presided over by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the standing committee, on Monday at the Parliament House. The bill was moved by Minister of State for Defence Sardar Saleem Haider Khan in the Senate on October 11, and was later referred to the Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production for further consideration. The committee, while approving the bill, asked the Ministry of Defence to review, in consultation with the Finance and Establishment Divisions, the restructuring of Airports Security Force (ASF) in order to overcome the long standing dichotomy in pay scales and ranks of security officers and assistant security officers and submit a detailed report to the committee in 90 days. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said the ASF is an important organization and the committee will make every possible effort to facilitate ASF in bringing further improvement in its working and performance. He said the ASF was performing a difficult task and the committee would endeavour to increase ASF’s capacity so that it can protect the 26 airports in a better way.
