ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly has expressed its serious reservations on increasing number of executions of Pakistanis in foreign countries. In its meeting held on Monday at Parliament House, the Committee recommended Foreign Office to ensure the right to fair trial for all Pakistani citizens facing legal proceedings in overseas courts of law. The Committee asked Foreign Ministry to provide under-trial Pakistanis assistance in finding lawyers, translators if required and guidance on foreign legal systems. The due course of law must be followed before any Pakistani citizen is convicted anywhere in the world, the Committee noted.
The Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee Awais Leghari called it a ‘matter of serious concern’ that Pakistani laborers abroad were unable to afford defence lawyers in case of their trial in a court of law. He demanded that destitute Pakistanis provided all available support at times of their need in foreign countries. The Foreign Office has informed the Committee that around 8500 Pakistanis were detained in overseas prisons most of them chargedwith drug-related crimes.
Chairman Leghari desired that Foreign Office improve its coordination with relevant departments to nip the evil of drug peddling at home airports. Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force, IMPASS should be held accountable if a person passes through our airports with drugs in his possession, he asked.
The committee expressed satisfaction over current pace of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the increased security cooperation between two countries.
The Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz briefed in detail about the ongoing reconciliation process between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Foreign Relations Committee strongly suggested that civilian and military leadership ofPakistan under the command of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif keep very close contact with their Afghan counterparts to prevent a situation where mistrust reemerges between two nations. Following an intense debate on present peace initiative between two countries, the committee reiterated that the hard-earned trust between Afghanistan and Pakistan should be safeguarded with utmost care. Advisor Aziz assured the committee that current Afghan would bear fruit soon. The committee unequivocally condemned the attack at Afghan Parliament on Mondaymorning in strongest possible terms. The members also showed deep concern over human right abuses against Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
The members strongly reacted to India’s acceptance of its role in breaking upPakistan in 1971. The Committee recommended raising the issue at international forums in order to expose the anti-peace policy of India. It was also noted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance regarding peace in South Asia has been steady and stable in spite of India’s erratic, irresponsible and immature statements coming from an office as high as of Prime Minister of India.
The Committee was informed that there were 2.5 million Pakistanis without Machine Readable Passports in world abroad amid an international deadline for MRPs approaching in November 2015. Chairman asked Foreign Office to immediately launch an awareness campaign at home and abroad in coordination with interior ministry.
The Committee also emphasized that the Foreign Office through its embassies and missions abroad should play a proactive role in coordination with all relevant agencies and organizations to deliver efficient services including provision of Overseas Computerized National Identity Cards, renewal of passports, swift provision of Machine Readable Passports and transportation of bodies of deceased Pakistanis back to country in a swift manner.
The Chairman of the Committee noted that the service delivery mechanism of Foreign Office of Pakistan has witnessed deterioration over the past decade and the efficiency of Pakistani foreign missions appears to have reduced. He said the deportation mechanism of Foreign Office was in shambles.
The Committee also took a serious notice on the news about issuance of thousands of official passports to undeserving and ineligible persons during the period 2008-2013. The Committee sought explanation as to why nobody has yet recommended cancellation of such passports issued illegally?
INP