Rabbani proposes forming of truth body

ISLAMABAD: Taking part in the debate in Senate on Wednesday former chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said a truth and reconciliation commission should be formed where people who have done wrong can be identified and the state can rectify them.

Rabbani said that the ‘elite state’ of Pakistan had been playing on the concept of religious nationalism to protect the status quo, which resulted in depriving the ordinary citizens of their rights.

On the other hand government supported the proposal of establishing truth and reconciliation commission move by Raza Rabbani. He explained, “The fundamental rights of citizens under the Constitution have been privatised due to which they have to hire a security guard for their protection, a generator for electricity, private schools for their children education and buy drinking water from tankers, which ultimately give birth to defying the state,” he regretted.

As a consequence, Rabbani continued the people become isolated and isolation and anger made innocent children vulnerable to extremism and gave rise to warlords. In such a situation, he added that the state has to change its role and shun investment in elite class and instead announce a 20-year investment plan for the poor. Rabbani emphasised that to ensure writ of the state, equal implementation of law was a must, as in a country like Pakistan, where there were five types of laws ie a separate law for the elite, a law for the poor, a law for

rich, a law for the influential and etc.

The veteran legislator maintained that the writ of the state was not a one-way traffic and insisted if the state would show ‘laxity’ in fulfilling its obligations, then it would become difficult for it to ensure its writ. He also added that the Parliament would have to play its role, deviating from the traditional oneand emphasised the state would have to shun the policy of extremism and violence. Rabbani argued through public petitions, matters should be taken forward.

Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum said that there would be no compromise on blasphemy, but the people having vested interest must not incite people against the military, judiciary without any proof. He called upon the government to pay attention to debt retirement, budget deficit and depleting reserves in order to cope with the economic challenges confronting the country. He also took up the matter whether the government had committed troops for Saudi Arabia against the bailout package.

PML-N senator urged the government to give exact response in the Parliament on what is our total financial need to address the balance of payment challenged and what was the government plan to address the challenge and what progress so far had been made in this context and were there any terms and conditions attached to the committed package from abroad.

He said that any attempt to involve Pak troops in Yemen conflict would be disastrous for the country as the Parliament had already cleared its position on Saudi-Yemen conflict back in 2014, adding as a neighbour, we must stand by Iran in these testing times. He said Iranian foreign minister's recent visit was to convey their concerns over rumours of Pakistani troops involvement in Yemen conflict.

The senators belonging to religious political parties were unanimous on one point: no less a punishment than death to a blasphemer. The BNP-Mengal Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini alleged that the noose was being tightened around Iran and in these circumstance, any attempt on part of the local leadership to isolate Iran would be disastrous for the country particularly Balochistan, sharing border with Iran.