News Analysis |
Minster of States for Interior Shehryar Afridi on Wednesday said the government will take all stakeholders into confidence regarding the arrest of alleged plunders, including former president Pervez Musharraf. Mr. Afridi while speaking at an Upper House Session informed the Senate that ‘Pakistan has accords with 33 countries in the world over the exchange of its wanted nationals’, adding that more countries were being contacted to sign such accords with.
Shehryar Afridi said the government has established a special committee to bring the looted wealth back to the country. The committee has collected valuable information in this regard and it is approaching various countries to get details of the assists and properties illegally owned by overseas Pakistanis. The minister for interior further said the individuals, who found guilty, will be held accountable as per the law.
The Railways minister said that the fairs of economy-class would also be reduced so that more people could travel via train. He informed the session that the existing tracks (MN-1 and MN-2) were being upgraded.
He, however, informed that no department has taken measures to bring former prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, back to the country. The measure of taking the stakeholders into confidence is perhaps a response to the emerging alliance between the main opposition parties the PML-N and the PPP. Both parties face a struggle for survival as their leadership is embroiled in various corruption cases.
According to observers, both are using the slogan of “political victimization” in order to build up sympathy and stave off an unbiased accountability campaign. The PTI through its motion to bring all stakeholders into confidence has signaled that it will not relent in its drive to capture the corrupt elements. This was explicit in PM Khan’s victory speech when he said that there will be “hue and cry” when the corrupt will be arrested.
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Perhaps, this is an indicator that the PTI was already aware of the nexus between the apparent rivals PPP and the PML-N. On a question regarding human smuggling, Afridi said,’ human smuggling is a source of embarrassment for Pakistan internationally’. He, however, termed missing security measures along Taftan and Helmand borders responsible for making the country a prime destination for human smuggling.
The committee has collected valuable information in this regard and it is approaching various countries to get details of the assists and properties illegally owned by overseas Pakistanis.
He said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible to investigate human trafficking issues but unfortunately it had limited resources as compared to the human smugglers’ mafia. But still, the FIA has been active against human smugglers in the country and operation against mafia has been initiated.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan during the session informed the Upper House that a task force has been established for the rehabilitation of the Tribal areas. ’People of Tribal areas will be given relief in tax collection. The fixed quota for Tribal students in all educational institutions will be in place for the next 10 years’. Khan further informed the Senate session that the existing Levi Force will be merged in police force, adding that additional hiring of police personnel will be made.
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He also touched the grave issue of begging in the country as an increase in the number of professional vagrant children and elderly people has been observed in both rural and urban area. He said action would be taken against such groups who were involved in the heinous act of involving children and elderly people in begging.
The PTI through its motion to bring all stakeholders into confidence has signaled that it will not relent in its drive to capture the corrupt elements.
Responding to the questions of Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan and Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed informed the session that ‘the ministry of Railways has decided to provide free traveling facility to the individuals who are 70 years of age or above’. He made it clear that the facility was not provided to get political benefits.
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The Railways minister said that the fairs of economy-class would also be reduced so that more people could travel via train. He informed the session that the existing tracks (MN-1 and MN-2) were being upgraded. Many foreign countries have shown great interest in the up gradation of Pakistan Railways. He further said a special discount would also be given to the persons with disabilities. The attendant of a visually impaired passenger will be given 50 percent discounts.