ISLAMABAD - The Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Saturday gave final shape to its recommendations on missing persons that would likely to be made public on January 8 (Tuesday).
Insiders informed The Nation that in its recommendations, the PCNS had made mandatory the registration of an FIR against any person picked up for investigation by the security agencies. It suggested that the agencies be made bound to present that person (accused) before a magistrate within 48 hours of his arrest. It further proposed that the relatives of the accused be given access to him, and he be allowed to have the services of a lawyer soon after his arrest. The committee met at the Parliament House under the chair of Senator Raza Rabbani but its members from the MQM, ANP and Qaumi Watan Party were conspicuously missing.
It was decided in the meeting that the PCNS chairman would talk to the leaders of the stated parties and would take them on board about its long overdue recommendations.
Talking to the media after the meeting, Rabbani said the committee had finalised more than 10 recommendations that would soon be submitted to the National Assembly. To a question, he said that the reservations of the secret agencies on the issue were kept in mind while jotting down the recommendations. He said they had in mind that justice should be done to those persons picked up by the law-enforcement agencies on the charge of involvement in anti-state activities.
Insiders said that in its recommendations, the committee proposed that the security agencies must register an FIR against any person picked up on the charge of any crime or involvement in some anti-state activities.
Sources said the committee had also proposed that the law-enforcing agencies be made bound to present any accused before magistrate within 48 hours of his arrest.
The committee also recommended that the security agencies should inform the police station from the jurisdiction of which a person had been picked up for interrogation.
The accused should have access to a lawyer, while the security agencies would be required to carry out investigations and submit a challan in the court of law within 21 days of his arrest.