ISLAMABAD: As he underscored the need to end enforced disappearances and the purpor­ted death squads in Balochistan, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani on Monday proposed legislation to control intelligence agencies af­­t­er a new government is voted to pow­er and parliament is complete.

The point was raised by the outspoken senator as Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) led by Akhtar Mengal staged a sit-in outside parliament to protest en­­forced disappearances. The PPP leader said this practice did not take place in democratic societies.

The senator also criticised the caretaker government for exceeding its mandate by making appointments at Nadra and NAB. He also referred to the reports of potential appointments of army officers as the heads of Pims and Polyclinic hospitals in Islamabad.

He said such steps were against Section 230 of the Elections Act and rulings of the Supreme Cou­rt. “Their job is confined to day-to-day business”, he remarked and asked the government to avoid appointing armed forces officers in civil departments.

Senators call for ceasefire, uninterrupted supply of humanitarian aid to Palestinians

In response to the remarks made by Senator Rabbani, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the solution to the issue of missing persons was “in an objective debate” in parliament.

He said parliament should enact legislation to “appropriately equip the security forces to counter serious insurgency and to effectively deal with elements involved in anti-state activities”.

In a thinly veiled reference to the BNP’s protest about death squads, he said it was a “political slogan”. “We have seen a lot of such political slogans in Baloch­istan, especially near the elections, but we have not seen any concrete evidence,” he added.

He also downplayed enforced disappearances and referred to ‘self disappearance’ — a phenomenon in which many people ‘voluntarily disappear’ to launch attacks on security forces.

Another highlight of the day’s proceedings was an objection rai­sed against the use of the title of Leader of the House by Ishaq Dar.

PPP leader Shahadat Awan said Senator Saleem Mandviwalla had been told by the Senate secretary during a business advisory committee meeting that he was not a chief whip anymore after the caretakers took power. He asked why Senator Dar had been labelled as the leader of the house on the agenda even though the elected government did not exist.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said he had received consent from the caretaker premier that Ishaq Dar would continue as the leader of the house, without explaining whether a notification had been issued or the decision had been verbally conveyed to him.

Gaza invasion

Senator Rabbani slammed the caretaker foreign minister for his non-attendance at the Senate session to discuss the Gaza atrocities.

“If this government can go to this extent to appease the Ame­ri­can government that not one person is present to listen to the senators or present the government’s own weak stance then it is my request … to adjourn the House for tomorrow, it is insulting.”

The senators called for an immediate ceasefire, uninterrupted supply of humanitarian aid to Palestinian people and steps to find a permanent solution to the issue.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2023