ISLAMABAD: Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has decided
to formally ask the Prime Minister to call in All Parties Conference
(APC) over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan.
The
committee that met here in the Parliament House on Friday under
Chairmanship of Senator Afrasiyab Khattak, also expressed its
dissatisfaction over briefing of the Additional Secretary of
Balochistan’s Home ministry.
The home ministry’s briefing could
not answer the question raised by a member of the committee, Senator
Abdul Rashid, as what to be replied to the people around the world when
they ask about missing persons as well as law and order in Balochistan.
He also elaborated grave violation of human rights in the province.
After
considering the members’ queries, the situation on ground and the
briefing, members of the committee agreed that situation in Balochistan
was still deteriorating and no improvement was noticed.
They
also discussed the government steps in connection to any improvement in
the province and recommended that dialogue with some parties or groups
would not be sufficient and therefore the government should invite all
the nationalist leaders for holding talks in Balochistan.
The
committee also recommended that a law for bringing the people
responsible for target killing, missing persons as well as law and
order to justice should approved by the parliament.
The
committee members were unanimously suggested that a high security jail
for keeping the terrorists should be established and criminals other
than terrorists should be kept in separate jails.
They also demanded approval of the Anti-Terrorism Act by the parliament as its final authorization was still awaited.
After
having a long discussion on the issues in Balochistan, members of the
committee were on the same page that an APC is essential for tackling
ongoing situation in the province and sorting out a sustainable policy
in this connection.
At the end of the proceedings with consent
of all the members, Khattak said a letter would be written to Prime
Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to call in an APC on Balochistan. Online
