ISLAMABAD: The Senate today unanimously passed amendment to the National Counter Terrorism Authorit (NCTA) Law that makes it obligatory for the executive committee of the Authority to meet at least once in three months to oversee the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) to root out terrorism and extremism.
The Authority has two principal bodies namely the Board headed by the Prime Minister for policy guidelines and the Executive Committee headed by the Interior Minister for the implementation of policies.
The amendment moved by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar makes it mandatory for the Executive Committee to meet and oversee policy implementation involving all stake holders in all provinces.
The existing law does not stipulate when and how frequently the Executive Committee of the Authority must meet.
Speaking on the Amendment Bill Farhatullah Babar said that with the Board of Governors headed by the Prime Minister had not met even once during the past over two years while the Executive Committee was not even mandated to meet regularly due to which fight against militancy had been gravely undermined. This had also attracted the adverse attention of the Qazi Faiz Isa led Commission.
The Executive Committee of the Authority is headed by the Interior Minister and comprises of relevant secretaries of federal government and provincial chief secretaries, home secretaries and additional IGs as members. It must be required to meet at least once every three months to oversee the implementation of National Action Plan, he said.
The government did not oppose the amendment which was passed unanimously.
Meanwhile eight Senators of the Human Rights Committee Monday also requisitioned a meeting of the Committee to discuss the recent incident of torture of child maid Tayyba, the disappearance of four social media activists the other day, the follow up in the murder of Multan-based human rights defender Rashid Rehman and the case of 28 persons missing from Malakand internment centre sometime back.
The requisitioned notice submitted in the secretariat today was signed by Senators Aitzaz Ahsan, Farhatullah Babar, Dr Babar Awan, Samina Abid, Nisar Muhammad Khan, Mohsin Leghari, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Shahi and Sehar Kamran.
Later, talking to the media Senator Farhatullah Babar said that initially 35 persons went missing from an internment centre in Malakand out of which only 7 were traced. The case of the remainign28 missing persons is of great significance as it holds the potential of addressing the core issue in the enforced disappearances.
He said that sometime back the apex court had observed that prima facie, it appeared that all the 35 persons were undeclared internees who were taken away from Malakand interment centre but only seven were produced before the Judge and no explanation was offered. This is both revealing and explosive and provided clue to proceed further in the matter.
It will be a huge test for the human rights committee of senate to pursue the matter and give justice to the disappeared, he said.
