ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution vowing to take effective steps to strengthen the Pakistan-Afghan border security.
Murad Saeed of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had tabled the resolution in the House on private members day.
The resolution was opposed by Parliamentary Secretary for Interior Marriyam Aurangzeb taking the plea that border security management was an integrated subject as many ministries and departments, including defence, commerce, interior, Federal Board of Revenue and Customs were involved in the exercise. She said various steps were taken to regulate cross-broader movement. The process was being automated by merging data of the National Alien Registration Authority with National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).
The process for transit passes was also being automated with the assistance of NADRA, she said and added that a summary had also been sent to the President for imposing rules and regulations of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Pakistan-Afghan border.
Moving the resolution, Murad Saeed said despite formulating the national internal security policy some three years ago, tragic incidents of Army Public School and Bacha Khan University occurred.
The terrorists stationed in Afghanistan, he said, were carrying out terror acts in Pakistan. Thousands of people illegally crossed Pak-Afghan border daily and that should be stopped as terrorists could also enter in guise of ordinary people, he added.
An effective mechanism should be in place to check illegal cross-border infiltration, he said.
Murad Saeed claimed that trade worth $ 8 billion was done through illegal means with Afghanistan.
Ayisha Syed demanded that immediate steps should be taken to stop trade of illegal weapons, drugs and smuggled vehicles.
Abdul Sattar Bachani endorsed the resolution saying it was need of the hour to stop infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan. He alleged that many Afghan refugees had managed to get Pakistani Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).
Shireen Mazari said the government should not oppose the resolution as strengthening border security was a national policy.
Maulana Gohar Shah said they strongly condemned incidents of terrorism and demanded strengthening security of Pak-Afghan border.
Abdul Qahar Wadan said security of the border should be enhanced and strengthened but all Afghan Pakhtuns should not be blamed.
Ayesha Gulalai said border management was need of the hour as 50,000 people daily crossed the Pak-Afghan border. Many innocent people, she added, were killed in attacks carried out by terrorists hiding in Afghanistan. She opined that Pakistan should seal its border with Afghanistan.
Engineer Usman Khan Taraki said the resolution should not be opposed. Afghan nationals, who managed to get Pakistani CNICs and passports were earning bad name to the country, he added.
Sher Akbar said it would be injustice to oppose the resolution. The government was bound to protect life and property of all the people as per the Constitution, he added.
Murad Saeed said India had opened four consulates in Afghanistan where training was being imparted to the terrorists to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan. Indian agency RAW (Research Analysis Wing) was using Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Concluding the debate, Marriyam Aurangzeb said the government was taking steps to strengthen the border management. She said a software was developed to monitor cross-border movement of people. She said the NARA (National Aliens Registration Authority) was linked with NADRA to make it vibrant. On the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan all dual passports were cancelled, besides blocking thousands of CNICs issued to Afghan nationals in the past. She said the NADRA employees were facing action for issuing such CNICs.
Later, she withdrew her decision to oppose the resolution.
Meanwhile, the House adopted the resolution moved by Muhammad Muzammil Qureshi that the government should take steps to formulate an Umrah Policy to facilitate people, especially in Ramazan.
The House also adopted a resolution moved by Sher Akbar Khan and others that the government should take steps to provide accommodation to all female students on their admission in hostels in the precincts of universities across the country.Later the House was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday at 10.30 am.
The National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution to take steps to declare Holi, Dewali and Easter as holiday for minorities.
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani moved the resolution. “This house is of the opinion that government should take steps to declare Holi, Dewali and Easter as closed holidays for minorities.” State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah, speaking in the house, said that Interior Ministry has already given permission to heads of government institutions to grant leave to minorities on their religious festivals. The federal minister for law and justice said that all Pakistanis equally shared each others’ joys and sorrows. He said that there was no discrimination on the basis of religion and faith, adding every citizen was enjoying religious freedom.
He said that number of holidays in Pakistan was more than any other country and they should reconsider it. He said that he was not opposing the resolution.
