National Ulema and Mashaikh Council formed to promote harmony, Senate told

 Pak-Turk schools not being closed

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that a National Ulema and Mashaikh Council has been formed to promote interfaith and inter-sectarian harmony in the country.

Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah told the House during question hour that a curriculum committee has also been constituted to remove hate material from the syllabus of religious seminaries.

He said that festivals of different religions are also commemorated at the official level in order to promote harmony in the society.

Minister for Human Rights Kamran Michael told the House that the present government has introduced different legislation including anti-rape and honour killing acts for the protection of womenfolk. 

He said, “We are not oblivious to the empowerment of women, and all out efforts are being made to also implement in letter and spirit the women-specific laws.”

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad told the House that work on Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme will soon be started and completed without further delay.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan has completed the task to procure Electronic Voting Machines and the award of contract process is in progress. 

He said these machines will firstly be tested in by-elections of National and provincial assemblies as a pilot project.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar and others Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhary told the House that the 320-MW Chashma Nuclear Power Plant is in testing phase, and it will be made fully functional next month.

He said that the Chashma-Zhob transmission line is being implemented in two phases. 

He said that the Chashma-D I Khan Transmission line phase I was under construction along with 220KV grid station and this was likely to be completed by the end of next year.

The Senate also passed a resolution congratulating and appreciating Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for meeting the genuine demands of the parliamentarians on the matter of increasing their remuneration.

The Senate unanimously passed The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016.

The bill, moved by Minister of State for Interior, Muhammad Balighur Rehman, explained that under the amendments sentences had been enhanced for those involved in providing false information, promoting religious and ethnic hatred and involved in forced marriages.

He said that under the Police Act, additional responsibilities had been given to the police department, vis-a-vis checking of sectarianism and proliferation of hate material. 

In case of negligence, the police officials can be given sentences up to three years. 

He said the amendments also envisaged punishment for those involved in lynching.

Responding to another calling attention notice moved by Mohsin Aziz and others, Minister of State for Interior, Balighur Rehman, clarified that the Pak-Turk schools were not being closed down.

He said most of the teachers and other staffers in these schools were Pakistanis.

He said it was the right of any state to extend the visa of any foreign national or not. He said that in hardship cases the visas of certain Turkish families had been extended up to 30th of next month.

He, however, said that other Turkish staffers of these schools would have to leave the country.-