Gen Bajwa to brief Senate on Saudi-led army, Iran visit

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is set to take the Senate Committee of the Whole into confidence today (Tuesday) on internal and external security, and his recent visit to Afghanistan, especially Iran, in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s tough talk against Pakistan in August.

In the afternoon, the Senate will take up the 24th Amendment Bill, as the government has succeeded in winning vital support of the opposition parties to get the piece of legislation through the 104-member House, as it needed a two-thirds majority (69 senators) support for its passage.

The bill will allow delimitation of constituencies on the basis of provisional census data.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said he was informed by the GHQ last Thursday that they were ready for giving a briefing to the senators, but it was not clear, who will give the briefing.

He said it was confirmed over the weekend that the Army Chief himself will come to the Senate panel and he will be accompanied by the Director General Military Operations (DGMO).

Rabbani said the army chief will take senators into confidence on his visit to Afghanistan, Iran and other security issues confronting the country after which there will be a question and answer session.

It is for the first time that an army chief will brief the Senate to be converted to a House Committee.

In yet another significant development, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will wind up a debate on an admitted adjournment motion about situation arising out of the controversial culmination of Faizabad sit-in by a religious group, which the senators have termed ‘surrender of rule of law’ by a constitutionally established government under pressure from a stick and gun wielding mob.

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry informed the Senate that the government had disallowed as many as 27 international non-government organizations (INGOs) to operate in Pakistan under a policy introduced in 2015 and all of these have been given the right of appeal.

Giving the ministerial response, on a matter of public importance earlier raised by PPP Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja, Talal informed the House that such INGOs had been denied registration under the INGOs policy because of their non-responsiveness, non-substantive projects and security reasons.

He said these INGOs had the right to appeal before a committee headed by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal within 90 days of the adverse decision.

He said the government was giving top priority to matters of national security and issues had come under observation with regard to working of some INGOs.

The minister noted that as many as 139 INGOs had applied for registration with the Ministry of Interior under the new policy and out of these, 66 had been allowed permission to operate in the country, while 27 had been denied registration.

Out of the 27 INGOs, six were those who were non-responsive and were not cooperating with the Ministry of Interior.

The interior ministry, he pointed out, had scrutinised the applications of INGOs under two committees, one headed by the additional secretary and other under the secretary interior.

Talal said the government had no information that as many as 10,000 or more people will get unemployed as a result of the closure of these INGOs but added that such number would be very low.

He noted that a fresh policy for registration of INGOs had been framed in October 2015 after the government received some reports that some INGOs were carrying out activities beyond their mandate as permitted by the Government of Pakistan and some were operating in sensitive areas without having due permission.

Prior to this, the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) used to deal with the INGOs’ registration but under the new policy, the task was handed over to the interior ministry in the light of the recommendations of the committee formed by then prime minister.

“The committee included secretary interior, secretary EAD, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and DG ISI besides others,” he said. The House will resume Tuesday (today) at 3:30pm.