Eyes of conscience show more clear picture, says Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Legislators belonging to both opposition and treasury Friday expressed dismay over absence of senators during voting on the delimitation bill, which was pending with the Senate.
They were unanimous in saying that Parliament may lose the historic opportunity of holding elections on time if this remained the attitude of lawmakers.
Senator Usman Khan Kakar of PKMAP, said Parliament was facing a threat from people, who never accepted this system and the Faizabad sit-in that entered 19th day was just a glimpse of those anti-democracy powers.
He said delay in passing the crucial constitutional amendment bill that will pave the way for timely election was also a reason to believe that the anti-democracy powers were bent upon delaying it.
Another PkMAP Senator Azam Musakhel said the bill was being willfully delayed on the dictation of anti-democracy powers.
He said the bill could not be passed for the third consecutive time and all the time members belonging to all parties, including the PML-N, remained mysteriously absent.
“It was my party, PKMAP, which has three senators; they remained present all the time, so I want to ask why these members remain absent despite knowing delaying the delimitation bill means delaying next elections,” he questioned.
Senator Farhatullah Babar endorsed the apprehension expressed by two PKMAP senators and said he was unable to identify the anti-democracy powers in the House but their presence was very much felt here.
This prompted Rabbani to say that in Sufism, ‘seeing through the eyes of conscience is clearer than seeing something from the eyes’, adding this is how you take stock of the situation in your imagination, which is even clearer.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar urged Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan not to make any commitment on terms of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) without bringing it to notice of the Senate.
Dastagir is to leave for Riyadh tomorrow (November 26) to attend the first meeting of IMCTC Ministers of Defense Council to formally launch the alliance and also outline the coalition's strategy, governance, activities and future plans.
Speaking on a point of public importance in the House, Senator Babar reminded the government that the defence minister had assured the House that the terms of reference for participation in the alliance will be placed before the Senate before taking any decision.
He said the military commander of the coalition had also been quoted as saying that the coalition 'encompasses four key areas of ideology, communications, counterterrorism financing and military to fight terrorism and to join other international security and peace keeping efforts'. Senator Babar pointed out that each of these areas, particularly the one relating to ideology, presents potential pitfalls and challenges with far-reaching consequences for Pakistan.
He demanded clarity on the issues involved and laying of facts before Parliament.
On his part, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani also endorsed Senator Babar’s demand and said the then defence minister Khawaja Asif, who is now foreign minister, had also assured the House that the Senate will be taken onboard before any such venture with the Saudi-led military alliance.
Senator Najma Hameed of PML-N and Sheikh Ateeq of MQM-P sought intervention of chairman Senate for finding a solution to end Faizabad protest.
They said children, patients, students and people belonging to all walks of life were facing serious hardships due to protesters, adding that it takes about two hours to reach Islamabad.
PTI Senator Samina Saeed drew attention of the chair towards the inordinate delay in releasing the findings of the committee formed to investigate crash of an Islamabad-bound PIA’s ATR plane from Chitral in Havelian last year in December.
She accused the government and PIA management of intentionally brushing the issue under the carpet as they were yet to ascertain the reason behind the unfortunate incident which claimed over 40 precious lives.
Rabbani referred the matters to the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet to discuss the issue in detail by summoning the authorities concerned.
He also directed the committee chairman to invite Senator Samina to attend the committee meeting when scheduled.
Meanwhile, terming the Federal Investigation Agency’s half-yearly report a mockery of procedures provided under the Electronic Crimes Act, Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani Friday asked the government to formulate rules to prescribe for procedure to be adopted in this context within a month.
In a 13-page ruling, which he read out in the House after the recitation of Holy Quran, Rabbani said the report presented to him by FIA was a sorry state that it did not adhere to the requirements of Section 53 of the act. He said the proposed rules should be placed before the Senate Functional Committee on Delegated Legislation.
He referred the FIA report to the House standing committee concerned for in-camera consideration and also directed the government to provide complete information during in-camera proceeding of the committee.
Rabbani said every six months, the ministry concerned through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would place a motion for submission of report in terms of Section 53 of the act on the orders of the day and the report be laid in the House accordingly.
“After laying of the report, it will be referred to the committee concerned for in-camera consideration and the government will also provide the identity information if required by the standing committee,” he noted.
The committee after consideration, he continued, might make a report in general terms, without disclosing identity information to the House or if it feels that certain classified information will have to be placed before the House, the committee can also present the report in in-camera proceedings of the House.