Senate body on interior passes Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior considered the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill, 2020 and unanimously approved it after detailed deliberations.

The Senate’s Committee on Interior agreed to approve the Bill after undertaking by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati on behalf of the government that the new Bill based on the proposed amendments by the members shall be brought in the House by the government within 60 days of passing of the said Bill.

The meeting was chaired by Senator Abdul Rehman Malik and was attended by Senator Talha Mehmood, Senator Kulsoom Parveen, Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, and Senator Shahzad Waseem. Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Secretary Law and Justice and other senior officers from the Ministry for Interior and ICT administration also attended the meeting. The Bill was considered and discussed in the committee meeting on Thursday, however, for further deliberation on the bill a special meeting was convened by Committee Chairman Senator A. Rehman Malik today in the Parliament House.

All the factors and aspects related to FATF and the requirement of such a Bill for FATF were discussed thoroughly.

The Senate’s Committee shown its reservations on certain clauses and two amendments one proposed by Senator Javed Abbasi and the other by Senator M. Talha Mahmood while Senator Sardar Shafiq Tareen and Senator Kalsoom Parveen also endorsed the both.

They expressed their concerns that the authority should not be given to one individual for implementation of section 21 of the Bill.

Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem however proposed that the bill may be passed in view of the requirements of FATF body as the case of Pakistan to be heard on 20th January 2020 and the government has to inform this enactment to FATF.

Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo stated that Parliament is a supreme forum to discuss all aspects of the legislation to be introduced by the government. “The government should not try to find out shortcuts on the pretext of such hasty legislation,” he said.

The majority of the members expressed their concerns that the authority should not be given to one individual for implementation of Section 21 of the Bill.

Senator A. Rehman Malik said that to meet with the requirements of FATF and its time constraints of 20th January, 2020 when Pakistan has to give compliance on the Mutual Legal Assistance to FATF, it was necessary to pass the Bill by today. He said the Committee considered all aspects of the Bill including its misuse particularly for political victimization.

The Committee agreed to approve the Bill on the basis of commitment and undertaking given by Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on behalf of the government who undertook that the Bill “The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill, 2020” will be brought back to the House with amendments proposed by Senator M. Javed Abbasi and Senator Talha Mahmood on the Bill within 60 days.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting also unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning the statement of Indian General Bipin Rawat wherein he has stated that Kashmiri children to be put into de-radicalization camps.

At the outset, Senator A. Rehman Malik strongly condemned the ongoing Indian forces brutalities in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the anti-Muslim mindset of Indian government and forces. He said that earlier Indian army officer and leader of BJP Maj General (R) SP Sinha in a statement had justified the rapes of Kashmiri women in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and now the Indian General Bipin Rawat is justifying crimes against innocent Kashmiri children. Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior moved the resolution which was unanimously adopted by the members.