NA human rights panel to inspect Adiala jail facilities next week
1. Sahibzada Hamid Raza says that opposition leaders of Senate and National Assembly were not treated fairly
ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Human Rights has scheduled a visit to Adiala Jail next week to inspect the facilities provided to inmates. The committee also expressed its dissatisfaction over the incident on November 26, 2024, in Islamabad and has decided to invite the IG and DIG of Islamabad Police to the upcoming meeting for a briefing on the matter. The meeting was chaired by Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
Members from the PTI raised concerns about the events on November 26, alleging police brutality against protesters. Both Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and PTI members claimed that peaceful demonstrators were mistreated, resulting in several fatalities due to gunfire. The committee has called for IG Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi to attend the next meeting for clarification. Committee member Ms. Zartaj Gul proposed sending a letter to the jail superintendent to express the committee's intent to visit, and the chairman agreed to form a committee to facilitate the visit.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza stated that opposition leaders in both the Senate and National Assembly had not been treated fairly. As part of its ongoing investigation, the committee also decided to visit Adiala Jail to assess the conditions and prepare a formal letter to the superintendent.
The committee also reviewed the Child Marriage Bill, introduced by Ms. Sharmila Farooqi, which seeks to establish a minimum age for marriage. The Ministry of Religious Affairs highlighted that marriage is not only a human rights issue but also a matter of Sharia law, suggesting the bill be examined by the Council of Islamic Ideology and the Ministry. Following a discussion, the committee proposed setting the minimum marriage age at 18 in Islamabad, similar to Sindh's legislation, to prevent early marriages. After a vote, the majority of committee members opposed forwarding the bill to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and decided to keep it under the Human Rights Committee’s purview.
The Committee stressed the importance of both the Treasury and opposition benches working together to ensure political stability in Pakistan. Concerns were also raised over the Ministry of Human Rights’ performance in safeguarding citizens' rights, with the committee directing the ministry to improve its coordination with the Ministry of Interior for more effective protection of these rights.
