ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties on Friday staged a walkout from the Senate against the alleged change in the original route of the Pak-China Corridor, and the senators agitated on not being given reply to a question about the judiciary, asked ten months back. A report of the House Standing Committee on Law and Justice was presented in the House on the Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2014. According to Senator Syed Sughra Imam, who had introduced the bill, the proposed piece of legislation would be taken up for adoption on Monday next. After the recitation from the Holy Quran, PPP Senator Hari Ram drew the attention of the House towards the demise of Justice Rana Bhagwandas and praised him for his services as a jurist. The Senate observed one-minute silence to mourn his death. Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari appreciated the late justice and said late justice Bhagwandas would be long remembered as a historic personality and acknowledged Ram’s proposal that the House observes one-minute silence. Both the Leader of the House Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq and Leader of Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan were not seen, as the Senate began its last session before the parliamentary year ends in March. It will also be the last session to be chaired by the out-going Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, who during the question hour, referred the issue relating to ex-Indus Water Commissioner (IWC) Jamaat Ali Shah in connection with India’s Nimoo Bazgo Hydero-Power Plant on Indus River to the House committee concerned. Awami National Party Senator Muhammad Zahid Khan, on a point of order, raised the issue and said both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had strong reservations over the proposed change in route of economic corridor and Sindh also supported them. He claimed the original map of the route approved in 2013 had been changed by the federal cabinet in its recent meeting that was sheer injustice to the smaller provinces. He then led the opposition senators’ walkout from the Senate. PPP Senator Syeda Sughra Imam had asked questions about the Indian hydro-power project and claimed Jamaat was proved guilty but no action was taken against him. MQM’s Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi also alleged that the IWC had massively undermined the interests of Pakistan but the government did not take action against him. Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali contended that the issue happened during the tenures of previous governments and said the matter could be investigated again if the senators so desired. On this, the chair observed that matter was not of any particular government, it was a serious issue, concerning the State and referred it to the House panel.PPP Senator Saeed Ghani agitated on not being given reply to the question, he had asked ten months back, seeking information about pension, allowances and other fringe benefits such as servants, officials accommodation, plots vehicles and utility bills admissible under the rules. He alleged while the judiciary got enforced its judgements, it was not ready to reply to his question. Senator Babar Awan of PPP rose to contend that all the institution being run on the tax-payers money were answerable to people. The chair noted that under Article 19A of the Constitution, every citizen had the right to seek information, being his fundamental right. He asked the government to get the required information by Tuesday. In a written reply, Law Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the information was not available in his ministry that was why the registrar of the Supreme Court was approached to provide the information on May 05, 12 and 20, August 04, September 10 and October 01, 2014, however, the reply was still awaited from the apex court. The minister said that a chief justice of the Supreme Court on his retirement was entitled to the minimum amount of pension equal to 70 percent of his salary determined by the president from time to time under Para 6 of the Supreme Court judge (leave, pension and privileges) Order of 1997 plus 5 percent for each completed year of service either as the chief justice or as the judge not exceeding the maximum amount of pension equal to 85 percent of the salary. He can have a driver and an orderly. He explained that among other things, a former chief justice was entitled to 300 litres of petrol per month, purchase of official vehicle at depreciated value which had been under the use of officer during his posting as chief justice. Facility availed other than entitlement, he noted, was that the justice retired Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was using 6000cc (bullet proof) Mercedez Benz Car No GD-0341 of Cabinet Division. He continued the Law and Justice Division was bearing the expenditure on petrol and maintenance under Islamabad High Court judgement on January 15, 2014. He noted an ICA had been filed but beside applications for early hearing, ICA was still pending. Since January 30, 2014, 4689 litres of petrol had been issued to the vehicle. A repair estimate of Rs3.375 million had been presented to the Law Division: funds through special grant were acquired from the Finance Division. Senators Ghulam Ali and Zahid Khan strongly advocated early completion of the Lowari Tunnel on the pattern of metro bus projects and noted people across the tunnel were facing acute shortage of food and other commodities and their problems compounded during winter season. Talking to The News, Senator Sughra Imam was confident that the bill would be adopted on Monday by the House and it would go a long way in ensuring speedy trial of perpetrators of the heinous crime of rape. The House committee proposed seven amendments to remove certain lacunas in the proposed bill while appreciating the senator. The proposed legislation specially focuses on the anti-rape laws implementation in letter and spirit, that the victims of this heinous crime are provided justice and that the criminals are duly convicted. Senator Sughra felt the need of proposed legislation when to her question asked in 2013, the House informed that in the last four years, 103 cases of rape were registered in Islamabad Capital Territory and non of the culprits or accused had been convicted or brought to justice.
