Parliament, judiciary failed to resolve missing persons’ issue: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Wednesday regretted that both the parliament and the judiciary could not do away with ‘the state within the state’, which was evident from the lingering issue of enforced disappearance still persisting in Pakistan.

These remarks came from Senate chairman when PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said that since August 30 is observed as ‘International Day of the Disappeared’, the government should implement the Senate committee’s recommendations on this matter.

Former President Pervez Musharraf came under fire in the House for his recent interview during which he squarely blamed Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan for nuclear proliferation. The Senate Committee of the Whole had months back forwarded its recommendations to the government, one of which was related to the issue of missing persons and included a draft legislation to bring the state agencies under the ambit of the law.  Rabbai maintained that senators like Babar and others had been constantly taking up the issue in the House but the situation remained unchanged, as both the parliament as well as the judiciary failed to resolve the issue of missing persons.

Senator Babar noted that till today not a single person had been held accountable for this crime against the law, the Constitution and human rights. “The impunity with which the perpetrators of enforced disappearance get away is frightening and bodes ill for the federation,” he cautioned.

He said that the state's apathy towards the victims' and their families was causing a huge chasm between the state and society thus creating space, which the extremists were eager to fill.

PPP Senator pointed out that the guidelines given by the Supreme Court, the Parliament and the Commission on Enforced disappearances all have been ignored. It only means that the perpetrators were more powerful than all these institutions put together.

Babar said that the misuse of the Cyber Crimes Act by the state had further aggravated the issue.  Chairman Senate conceded, “We hang our heads in shame, as neither the parliament nor the judiciary could address the issue of enforced disappearance in the country”.

The latest interview by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf also echoed in the Senate in which he had claimed that the top nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan knelt before him and cried when he confronted after seeing irrefutable evidence against him for his involvement in nuclear proliferation.

Senator Babar said that this embarrassed the whole nation and former military ruler must be investigated for his accusations against Dr. Abdul Qadeer, as smuggling nuclear centrifuges could not be done by a single individual.

“This cannot be done by only AQ Khan without the support of any other person and Musharraf should be probed for his recent revelations in which he has put all the blame on the scientist, which is unbelievable,” he pointed out.

Rabbani condemned the statement of Musharraf, saying why the former general had said it all at this stage especially in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s tirade against Pakistan. 

Speaking on a point of public importance, PPP Senator Taj Haider drew the attention of the House towards Rs3 billion irregularities in different government departments recently pointed out in the Auditor General of Pakistan’s report, 2015-16.

He urged the chair to refer the matter to the concerned committee of the House, however, the chairman Senate asked the senator to bring a calling attention notice, so that he could pass appropriate order after listening to the government’s view point. The session was prorogued sine die.