KP Assembly condemns Mach killings, student’s shooting in Islamabad

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in unanimously adopted resolution on Monday condemned the killing of innocent mineworkers in Mach area of Balochistan and murder of a student by the Islamabad Police.

The resolution jointly moved by Nighat Orakzai, Ahmad Karim Kundi, Shagufta Malik, Baseerat Khan and Abdul Salam Afridi stated that the House condemns the brutal killing of coalmine workers in Mach and police shooting dead a student in Islamabad and expresses sympathies with the bereaved families.

The resolution noted that such killings and bad law and order situation in the country has been causing uncertainty and anger among the people. It asked the federal government to take steps for ensuring protection to the lives of citizens and bringing to justice the culprits at the earliest.

The resolution said the nation was united against nefarious designs of the enemies and was ready to render any sacrifice for the country’s sovereignty and integrity.

The opposition lawmakers held Prime Minister Imran Khan responsible for the bad law and order situation and questioned why he refused to go to Quetta and how come he used the word “blackmailing” for the victims’ families.

Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) while speaking on a point of order said the killing of 10 Hazara community members was a brutal incident. She questioned as to who stopped the prime minister from going to Quetta and why he used the words like “he would not succumb to blackmailing for the victim families” who just demanded the arrival of the PM before burial of their near and dear ones.

She also held the government responsible for the killing of a student Osama Satti, asking as to why the cops fired 22 bullets at an innocent boy. In his reply, Minister for Law Sultan Muhammad said the Mach incident was extreme brutality and the whole nation was aggrieved over the killing of innocent Hazara coalmine workers. He said Hazara community’s target killing had been going on for years and their sacrifices had no match. He thanked Hazara community for ending the protest sit-in in Quetta and said Imran Khan had assured of bringing the culprits to book.

The House also unanimously passed another resolution against ‘two fingers test’ for the victim of sexual violence and demanded ban on such a test. The resolution, moved by Ayesha Bano of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the ‘two fingers’ test’ method being used for female victims of sexual violence is against their privacy and personal integrity and is rather immoral.

The resolution added that such a test leads to psychological disorder and trauma for the victim, which is why it should be stopped and standard guidelines be adopted for modern methods of investigations in sexual violence cases.