Dr Aafia's immediate release demanded, NA told
By Abrar Saeed November 7, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan Friday informed the National Assembly that Government had demanded of the US to take immediate action for the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Responding to a point of order raised by PML-N MNA Memona Hashmi wherein she asked the government to inform the House about the latest position in the missing persons’ issue, the minister said that the matter of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had been lingering since previous government and recovery of his son was a major breakthrough in the case.
He further said that it was on record that Premier Gilani had taken up the issue with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her recent visit and urged her to take steps for the early release of Dr. Aafia. He further said the Government had offered US $ 1 million to the relatives of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to engage an attorney for her case in the US. He assured the House that Government was in touch with the family of Dr. Aafia and would leave no stone unturned for her early release.
As the National Assembly started debate on law and order in the country, the only speaker of the day PML-N MNA Tahira Aurangzeb said that terrorism was an issue inherited by the Government by the previous regime.
She said that a neighbouring country was involved in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. “India is involved in most of the subversive activities in Pakistan and we should inform all our friendly countries about this fact and take up the matter very forcefully”, she added.
Tahira Aurangzeb said that some US leaders claimed that Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan, but it was baseless and frivolous claim. Actually he (Osama) was in United States, she claimed.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister of State for Interior Tasneem Qureshi informed the House that provincial governments were directed to fully implement judicial reforms regarding welfare of the prisoners, particularly the minors, in jails. Mrs. Yasmeen Rehman and others have moved the calling attention notice.
He said that special arrangements for provision of proper food and education to the minors, up to the age of seven years old, present in jails, along with their mothers had been made.
He said provincial governments were also asked to take steps for provision of legal aid and payment of fine money to all those women in jails who were carrying their minor off springs with them.
To another calling attention notice, Minister for Industries and Production Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo informed the House that seven incidents of theft from Utility Stores and their warehouses were reported. He said that one incident of theft was traced out and the burgled goods were also recovered while efforts were underway to apprehend the culprits involved in the rest of the incidents.
He further assured the House that adequate security steps had been taken to avoid such cases in future. Close-circuit TV cameras have also been installed in this regard. The calling attention notice was moved by Mrs. Nisar Tanveer, Shireen Arshad Khan, Tahira Aurangzeb, Begum Nuzhat Sadiq and Rana Mahmoodul-Hassan.
Meanwhile, the Public Defender and Legal Aid Offices Bill, 2009, meant to provide legal assistance to the poorest was deferred due to the concerns raised on it by the Opposition members. The was moved by Minister of State for Law and Justice Muhammad Afzal Sindhu but was referred back to the Standing Committee concerned for making it a consensus document.
Opposition members including PML-N’s Khawaja Asif, Zahid Hamid, Anusha Rehman, Chaudhry Naseer Bhutta and PML-Q’s Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada raised objection on the bill.
The Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza, however, deferred the bill and referred it back to the Standing Committee concerned for further deliberations after Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said that it should be delayed to develop consensus in the committee.