Islamabad: Pakistan Senate’s Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani Sunday “dropped” a bill aimed at curbing violent extremism in the country following fierce opposition from lawmakers, including those from the ruling coalition.
The Chairman dropped ‘The Prevention of Violent Extremism Bill 2023′ tabled by Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan on behalf of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah as many parliamentarians opposed it, media reports said Sunday.
The bill said that those calling on others to show or use force, propagating and publishing extremist material, using all kinds of media for radicalisation or manipulating people’s beliefs, or provoking sectarian strife would be guilty of violent extremism.
Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, a lawmaker from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said he did not know why the bill was being tabled Sunday. “Is there an emergency in Pakistan that we come and do this Sundays, on public holidays?”
If such legislation was passed by following the due procedure then it would only add to its credibility, Dawn News quoted the PTI leader as saying.
“If we do something in haste just because the government thinks little time remains, then haste makes waste,” he said.
Climate Minister Sherry Rehman who tried to defend holding the session Sunday said that in the past sessions had been called Sundays and Saturdays.
Commenting on the statements by other parliamentarians who questioned why the bills on the agenda were not being referred to the relevant committees, she said: “Perhaps, they don’t know that when the National Assembly (NA) completes its term, the bills that originate from there […] the rule is that they become infructuous the day the assembly’s term ends.”
Sherry said that the Senate could also introduce amendments to bills after the assembly’s term ended. “No one likes hasty legislation,” she said.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party said that as a member of the ruling party, there was perhaps a “compulsion” that they would vote for the bill, adding that they would do so.
At the same time, he said that several of the bills on today’s (Sunday’s) agenda were “important”.
Talking about the prevention of violent extremism bill, he said that it covered “vast areas” and explained that the bill had 33 articles and 100 sub-clauses which were applicable to all, including politicians and the common man.
Siddiqui pointed out that the bill did not come from the National Assembly and had come directly to the Senate.
“After coming to us directly, it is our responsibility to thoroughly look at it before sending it to the NA. We agree with its aims and objectives but we fear that if this bill is approved as it is without going to the committee […] then it may perhaps be difficult to escape its clutches in the future,” he said.
“Is it opposed?” asked Chairman Sanjrani, to which senators said it was. “Should I send it to the committee or take it to passage?” Sanjrani, who belongs to the Balochistan Awami Party, then asked.
Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), an Islamic party, said any such legislation required taking allied parties into confidence.
“You are cutting off your own hands with this legislation. You don’t realise it […] but where fundamental rights are being curtailed and you want to do legislation in this manner, in this haste and during the holidays, then I — as a coalition senator — voice my opposition.”
Murtaza said the bill would become a problem down the line for all. “So please don’t do this kind of legislation which is offending the articles of the Constitution,” he added.
National Party (NP) Senator Tahir Bizenjo said that unfortunately two political parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N, were making all the decisions.
He took issue with the PML-N and said the party had not taken anyone into confidence over the legislation carried out over its tenure.
He said that the current bill was an “open attack” on democracy and that he was “strongly opposing the bill”.
“If it is tabled, we will stage a token walkout,” he said.
In his remarks, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (Fazl) Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said that their coalition partners did not realise what would happen in the future.
The JUI-F leader also questioned the need for calling a session Sunday and voiced the party’s opposition to the bill.
Sanjrani then said that the bill was a “routine matter” and that the Sunday session was called because it was decided in the business advisory that the days needed to be completed and three holidays would not be counted.
“I drop this bill, whether or not the government does,” he said.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government was presenting a bill on violent extremism. “This is a frightening bill which will not end violent extremism but will instead increase it,” he said.
“Sections five and six of the bill are draconian. This is a bill for banning the PTI,” he said.
The bill says that anyone found to be guilty of committing “violent extremism” may be listed in the Second Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (ATA) or in the First Schedule in the case of an organisation.
The bill defines that a person would be guilty of “violent extremism” if he “supports, encourages, promotes, instigates, foments, advocates, justifies, commits or threatens to commit the show or use of force or violence or any hostile action, not permitted under the law, for resolution of any ideological belief, or any political, sectarian, social, racial, ethnic and religious issue”.
“The listed persons may be barred to take part in elections at any level,” it says, a key provision that could affect the electoral prospects of many PTI candidates in the general elections in the coming months.
It further says that all assets, properties and bank accounts in the name of the listed organisation shall be immediately frozen and seized.
The bill further states that no public servant shall involve themselves, their department or their family members in any activity related to violent extremism. If they do so, then in addition to departmental proceedings, they would also be punishable under the bill.
The bill also details the punishment for violent extremism. “Any person who commits violent extremism shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years but shall not be less than three years and with a fine which may extend to Rs 2 million but shall not be less than Rs 500,000.
The bill further says that any organisation found involved in violent extremism may be fined up to Rs 5 million but not less than Rs 500,000. “On conviction such an organisation, shall immediately stand dissolved or wound up, as the case may be, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force,” the bill adds.
PTI