ISLAMABAD (Agencies): The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior commended the Punjab Police for their efficient handling of the incidents that occurred on May 9th across Pakistan. To address the matter, the committee summoned the Inspector General of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide a detailed report on the injured police officials.
The DIG Punjab Police informed the committee that 169 police officers were injured during the attacks, with 13 army installations and 19 government buildings being targeted. In recognition of their bravery, the Punjab Government awarded Rs. 82,84,000 as cash rewards to the 169 injured police officials.
The committee expressed its appreciation for the Punjab police’s efforts and expressed its dissatisfaction with the Information Secretaries of Provinces and the Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for not broadcasting the government’s narrative on the incident. Consequently, the committee directed that the government’s version of events should be broadcasted multiple times on television.
In recognition of the services rendered by the police to prevent further escalation of the situation, the committee recommended issuing appreciation letters and suggested nominating the Police Officials for Sitara-e-Imtiaz and other prestigious awards.
However, the committee expressed disappointment over the absence of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Officials in the meeting, which was noted during the session.
During the session, the committee also addressed various bills:
Acid and Burn Crime Bill: The committee recommended that rehabilitation, legal, and medical assistance for victims of acid and burn crimes should be provided free of cost. Additionally, witness protection measures were suggested, and the Prosecution department was proposed to be included in the committee for Acid Burn Victims. The committee passed the bill with the mentioned amendments.
Criminal Laws Amendment Bill: The committee proposed amendments to the bill, suggesting that the fine amount should be set at 2 million and imprisonment should have a maximum term of 7 years. Furthermore, life imprisonment was proposed for sexual assault on a dead corpse.
Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: The committee recommended that domicile status should be determined based on the individual’s permanent address.
Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill: The committee recommended that cases of road accidents should be non-bailable. The matter will be further discussed in the next meeting, with the Ministry of Law and Justice and Interior directed to submit reports on the issue.
Regarding the bills concerning the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government and the Islamabad Capital Territory Criminal Prosecution Service, the committee expressed extreme displeasure over the unpreparedness of the Ministry of Interior Official. They directed the ministry to submit detailed reports on these bills in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by several Members of the National Assembly and Senior Government Officials