ISLAMABAD: Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Chairman Senator Mustafa Nawaz Kokhar, showing his reservations, said that the funds allocated to the human rights ministry for implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) were used to renovate the officers house’ and offices. But there was no progress when it came to eradicating terrorism and violent extremism, he added.
The chairman ordered the human rights ministry secretary to appear before the committee and clarify the reported misuse of the funds.
Regretting the slow progress in NAP implementation, the chairman said instead of investing the Rs100 million allocated budget on eradicating terrorism from the country, the human rights ministry officials got TADs and utilised the remaining on renovation of residences and personal luxuries.
However, a joint secretary said the news items regarding the misuse of funds and alleged high salaries to consultants were not based on facts and was refuted by the ministry. The government last year allocated an amount of Rs 100 million but there was no funding for the current year funds, he added.
He said the money allocated by the government for NAP wasn’t misused in any way and the ministry always conducted third-party audit of its funds.
But the committee observed that if the news was untrue then the ministry should have issued rebuttal and directed to Auditor General of Pakistan to include the ministry in this year’s audit programme, while keeping the panel updated on the progress.
Senator Usman Kakar said the NAP was not implemented despite the passage of five years due to which the country was still facing turmoil.
“National Action Plan was not drafted to provide job opportunities. Its sole objective was to eradicate terrorism and extremism,” he added.
The committee also discussed the issue of blocking the CNICs of Malik Attaullah Bajore and his family, which was initially raised by Kakar in the Senate on April 30.
Attaullah and his son said their family had given sacrifices in the war against terror but they were being politically victimised.
Attaullah said that the NADRA had blocked their CNICs on the recommendations of District Level Committee which was headed by the deputy commissioner.
The committee summoned the officials concerned to sort out the matter amicably, but the members expressed their displeasure over the maltreatment meted out to the respected family.
The panel also took notice of the registration of FIRs under 7ATA against the PTM workers for holding public gathering in Sindh and Balochistan, directing the authorities to withdraw the cases.
The chairman ordered the human rights ministry secretary to appear before the committee and clarify the reported misuse of the funds.
Regretting the slow progress in NAP implementation, the chairman said instead of investing the Rs100 million allocated budget on eradicating terrorism from the country, the human rights ministry officials got TADs and utilised the remaining on renovation of residences and personal luxuries.
However, a joint secretary said the news items regarding the misuse of funds and alleged high salaries to consultants were not based on facts and was refuted by the ministry. The government last year allocated an amount of Rs 100 million but there was no funding for the current year funds, he added.
He said the money allocated by the government for NAP wasn’t misused in any way and the ministry always conducted third-party audit of its funds.
But the committee observed that if the news was untrue then the ministry should have issued rebuttal and directed to Auditor General of Pakistan to include the ministry in this year’s audit programme, while keeping the panel updated on the progress.
Senator Usman Kakar said the NAP was not implemented despite the passage of five years due to which the country was still facing turmoil.
“National Action Plan was not drafted to provide job opportunities. Its sole objective was to eradicate terrorism and extremism,” he added.
The committee also discussed the issue of blocking the CNICs of Malik Attaullah Bajore and his family, which was initially raised by Kakar in the Senate on April 30.
Attaullah and his son said their family had given sacrifices in the war against terror but they were being politically victimised.
Attaullah said that the NADRA had blocked their CNICs on the recommendations of District Level Committee which was headed by the deputy commissioner.
The committee summoned the officials concerned to sort out the matter amicably, but the members expressed their displeasure over the maltreatment meted out to the respected family.
The panel also took notice of the registration of FIRs under 7ATA against the PTM workers for holding public gathering in Sindh and Balochistan, directing the authorities to withdraw the cases.