ISLAMABAD: The members of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights on Monday expressed their concern over the use of police force by successive governments against their political opponents and called for amending or repealing the Police Rules 1934 and the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Senator Walid Iqbal, the chairman of the committee, even termed the MPO and the Police Rules 1934 “black and draconian laws”.

Senator Iqbal, who belongs to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, directed Islamabad’s inspector general police to submit a report on the number of raids conducted, number of shells fired and total reported incidents of baton charge during the long march on the call of PTI chairman Imran Khan on May 25.

The directive was issued by the chairman after the committee members’ deliberation on the matter “regarding the arrest, abduction of parliamentarians and trespassing into private property with reference to the May 25 incident.”

The members took exception to the use of terms “minimum necessary and proportionate use of force” repeatedly by law enforcement authorities.

The committee also took up the matter of the detention of a Pakistani citizen Saifullah Piracha in Guantanamo Bay. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs apprised the committee that nationality of Saifullah Piracha had been confirmed by the interior ministry and conveyed to the US government and the victim would soon be released.

The committee chairman sought a report on the issue before Sept 15.

The committee discussed the Transgender Persons (Amend­ment) Bill 2021 and decided to seek opinion from the Council of Islamic Ideology.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2022