ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Dr Karim Khawaja on Monday tabled the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2017 in Senate, demanding an end to punishment for attempted suicide.
However, the Law minister Zahid Hamid told the house that the matter was very sensitive in nature. “Therefore, it should be deferred,” he said.
The Senate chairman deferred the bill, saying it could not be passed without the consent of the Council of Islamic Ideology.
Khawaja had argued that people who tried to take their lives needed help, not punishment. The PPP senator said that those who attempted to commit suicide must be sent to rehabilitation centers so that they could receive treatment, instead of being sent to prison. PPP Senator Rehman Malik also supported the bill, said that people attempt suicide due to depression and need medical treatment instead of sending behind the bars.
Senator Taj Haider, on the other hand, declared that the reason people attempt to commit suicide was that the state had failed them. “We need to change the environment which makes our young generation think that suicide is their only option,” he said. However, Law Minister Zahid Hamid declared the issue “sensitive”, saying that since suicide was forbidden in Islam, the bill must be sent to the relevant committee for debate before the Senate passed it.
Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani echoed Hamid’s words, saying that the bill could not be passed without the consent of the Council of Islamic Ideology, after which the bill was deferred for further deliberations. State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the House that as the IIC was incomplete due to non-appointment of its chairman, therefore, the matter could not be passed until it complete.
Meanwhile, the Senate passed ‘The Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal (Amendment) Bill, 2017’. The bill, moved by Karim Ahmed Khawaja, provided to amend the Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal Act, 1991.
Speaking on a motion, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said the government employees could withdraw thirty-six month pay as house building advance for constructing new house or extension or renovation of their existing house. He said the amount was to be repaid before the retirement of the concerned official. Earlier, taking part in the discussion on the motion the members proposed that the amount of the house building advance should be enhanced.
Concluding discussion on a motion moved by Karim Ahmad Khawaja, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said at present there were eight thousand six hundred and sixty two Land Reforms cases in the country.
“The cases are pending because presently Land Reforms Commission falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but the ministry had to depend on the Law Ministry to address these cases. Speedy disposal of the cases the Land Reforms Commission should be housed under the proper ministry and a summary had been moved by her ministry in this regard,” she said.
Concluding discussion on a motion moved by Chaudhry Tanvir Khan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary said border management with Afghanistan was imperative to control terrorism and smuggling of narcotics.
He said that biometric verification had been started and gates constructed at border. He said fencing and ditching on the border was also underway. He said Pakistan’s objective was to facilitate the people of the two countries and promote trade and stop illegal movement. Journalists covering the Senate session staged a walkout from the press gallery to record their protest on the attack on a journalist, Ahmad Noorani, in Islamabad. After negotiations with Senators Mushahidullah Khan and Taj Haider, the journalists ended their protest. Speaking on the issue in the House, the members strongly condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the journalists. They termed the attack as an attack on the freedom of media.
Published in Daily Times, October 31st 2017.
