ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz has said that PTI Government is taking the issue of missing persons very seriously and Prime Minister Imran Khan has given special instructions that relatives of missing persons must know about their whereabouts.
The Federal Minister for information in a media briefing after the Cabinet meeting, to a query, acknowledged that Prime Minister Imran Khan took serious notice of missing persons and instructed Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to ensure that law regarding missing persons should be fully implemented and if there any amendments needed in this law then they should do forthwith. “In all countries security and secret agencies picked persons on different charges without arrest warrant but they’re bound to provide whereabouts of these persons to their family members. “This is not acceptable that whereabouts of missing persons to are not known to their family members for months and in some cases even for years,” he remarked. He said Imran Khan in the past as Opposition member always raised voice for missing persons and now as a Prime Minister he wants to solve this matter.
He said that the Government has decided to introduce electronic voting for local and overseas Pakistanis before next General Elections. The Shibli Faraz said that the committee had been formed to take all stakeholders on board to ensure that an electronic voting system should be implemented in minimum time. “Contribution of overseas Pakistanis in the economy is immense in the shape of remittances and foreign investment, and that’s why they should have a right to vote and elect the party of their choice,” he said.
He said during the meeting, the Prime Minister also expressed concern that despite introducing stern punishment against sex offenders, the cases of sexual harassment and abuse are not decreasing. He said the cabinet decided to give all relevant departments special instructions to take ruthless actions against the persons involved in these heinous crimes. The Information Minister said that the Government also introduced Inheritance Law by which the people will get a Succession Certificate in 15 months instead of 8 to 10 months. “The widow or children of the deceased now don’t have to courts for months to get their fundamental right,” he said.
Regarding Senate elections, he said that the Government had shown its intention to conduct elections through open balloting to ensure transparency. However, he said that now since this case in court, he will not elaborate on it. He admitted that inflation is a big concern for the Government but at the same added that compared to the prime ministers of PPP and PML(N) austerity measures taken by Prime Minister are commendable and his expenditures are very nominal.
