ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday adopted a unanimous resolution calling for implementation on relevant United Nations resolutions on the Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination and repeal of draconian laws currently in force in India-held Kashmir.

The resolution urges the international community, inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary organisations, elected representatives and bodies, human rights organisations, civil society and media organisations working for freedom of expression to respond to this urgent call of conscience.

This was the second resolution passed by the house in less than a week’s time. Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani observed that the fresh resolution would supersede the previous one and directed the foreign affairs ministry to communicate the consensus resolution to all the diplomatic missions around the globe.

The resolution was passed a day after the House held a detailed discussion on an adjournment motion moved by senators from all parliamentary parties on state terrorism, brutal killings, human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression, including mass and social media curbs, in held Kashmir. It expressed solidarity with the oppressed and struggling people of held Kashmir in their latest popular, spontaneous, indigenous and widespread upsurge against the unjust and illegal occupation.

Opposition in Senate stages walkout against campaign for controversial Kalabagh dam

The House noted that since the killing of Burhan Wani, and of scores of innocent civilians, the brutality of Indian security forces in the valley had resulted in an ongoing massacre leading to over 50 fatalities and 3,500 injuries. Nearly 150 people were blinded or critically maimed.

The resolution said apart from the fifth generation of Kashmiris facing near genocidal policies of the state, with the highest soldier-civilian ratio in the world as over seven hundred thousand troops and paramilitary remain as occupiers in a valley with a population of four million, draconian laws reinforce human rights violations. “Black laws like the public safety act, the Jammu and Kashmir armed forces special powers act and other punitive measures which should be immediately repealed since these were repugnant to fundamental rights and human dignity encoded in universal laws and civilised norms.

“The proliferation of mass graves and the blatant use of lethal and proscribed non-lethal weapons testify to this chilling reality,” the resolution reads.

The members of the upper house through the unanimous resolution deplored that the ‘world’s largest democracy’ India had resorted to the worst kind of censorship, including print, electronic and social media blanket bans, to cover up these ghastly crimes against humanity.

WALKOUT: The joint opposition in the Senate staged a walkout from the House against the campaign for Kalabagh dam launched by Wapda Chairman Zafar Mehmood and long power outages in Sindh. The matter was raised in the House by Aijaz Dhamra of the PPP who said parts of Sindh were facing loadshedding of up to 20 hours a day and the Wapda chairman was running a campaign in favour of the Kalabagh dam. Pointing out that the project had been rejected by three provinces, Mr Dhamra termed the campaign tantamount to rubbing salt into injuries. He announced staging a walkout against this, which was joined by the entire opposition.

NFC AWARD: On a call attention notice about delay in announcement of the eighth national finance commission award (NFC), Sassui Palejo of the PPP alleged that all resources were being given to just one province while others were being pushed to the wall.

Law Minister Zahid Hamid said the seventh NFC award was still in force. He said the Constitution requires formation of a new commission after every five years. He said a commission had been formed which held its first meeting on April 28 last year. He said four working groups had been formed and three had submitted their reports while one was still awaited.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on this said that second budget had been announced without the NFC. He said Punjab took some eight months to appoint a member, creating doubts among the small provinces. He said putting off census was also creating doubts.

OFFICIAL GIFTS: Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the PML-Q on a point of order sought complete details of the official gifts received by successive prime ministers and other government functionaries and kept in the Tosha Khana. He said these details should be made public and placed on an official website.

He said details of the value of gift, name of recipient and those who purchased it should also be provided. He cited the example of India where the Tosha Khana was under the administrative control of the external affairs ministry and all details about the gifts received by its state functionaries were available on its website.

The Senate chairman directed the Senate secretariat to make public details of all official gifts received on its official website. He said he had deposited all official gifts he received in the Tosha Khana and had also purchased some of them.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016