Committee on interior condemns terror attack on Bethel Memorial Church

ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP):Senate Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting strongly condemned the terror attack on Bethel Memorial Church Quetta on December 18 in which 9 innocent people were killed.
The Committee prayed for those who lost their lives in the attack and expressed sympathies with bereaved families. One minute silence was observed for the victims of terrorist attack as homage, said a press release issued here.
The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator A. Rehman Malik here at the Parliament House and was attended among others by Senators Shibli Faraz, Shahi Syed, Tahir Mashhadi, Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Javed Abbasi, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Sardar Fateh Hassani, Rubina Khalid, Azam Swati, Mukhtiar Dhamra, Karim Ahmed Khwaja, Rubina Khalid, Special Secretary Interior, DG Passport Office,
Inspector General of Police Islamabad and Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology.
In the meeting, Senator A. Rehman Malik Chairman Committee moved a resolution against the terror attack on Bethel Memorial Church Quetta which was unanimously passed by the members.
The Committee has approved “The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2017” moved by Senators Mukhtiar Dhamra and Murtaza Wahab, “The Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the code of criminal procedure, 1898 (The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017” moved by Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja.
Chairman Committee Senator A. Rehman Malik formed a special committee comprising of its members Senator Muahmmad Ali Saif and Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi
to further elaborate “The Miscarriage of Justice (Compensation) Bill, 2017” moved by Senator Azam Swati.
Other than these three bills, the Committee also discussed “The Criminal laws (Amendment)
(Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons) Bill, 2017” moved by Senator Rubina Khalid.
The committee heard Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology on the matter who told the committee
that council’s meeting is scheduled to be held on 17th January on the said issue and the council will
report to the committee in a few days after the meeting.
The Committee heard Azam Taimori IG Islamabad Police and Sajid Keyani SSP Operations
Islamabad Police on the incident of attack on a journalist Mr. Ahmed Noorani.
The victim was also present in the meeting who apprised the Committee about his grievances.
Chairman Committee Senator A. Rehman Malik directed the IG Islamabad Police to meet the victim
journalist in person, listen to him and conclude the investigation into the case within next fifteen
days.
He also assured him the committee support and said attacks on journalists are a matter of
great concerns for him and the committee. After hearing both sides Chairman Committee decided
to have an in-camera session on the matter in the next meeting.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir also attended the meeting as attack on him was on agenda; in
this regard Chairman Senator A. Rehman Malik directed the ministry of interior to submit a
detailed report in the next meeting and also summoned IG Police Sindh and Home Secretary for
the next meeting to know about the progress in investigation.
The matter of sub-standard ink being used on front page of official passports was also discussed
. DG Passports was directed to resolve and report back to the Committee in a month.