Senate passes bill banning practice, promotion of Zionism

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior has unanimously passed a bill mandating up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs40,000 for adopting Zionism as a religion, practicing it or promoting related literature.

The bill, introduced by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Afnan Ullah, targets individuals who adopt Zionism, distribute its literature, or use its symbols to propagate it, noting that these actions create divisions within society.

According to the bill’s text, anyone found guilty of embracing or promoting Zionism with intent will face up to three years in prison, a fine of Rs40,000, or both. The same penalties will apply to those using Zionism to incite societal division or hatred among the public.

The committee also approved the National Forensic Agency Amendment Bill and reviewed other amendment bills aimed at enhancing sentences for terrorism and rape cases.

The committee also discussed the rising crimes in Islamabad.

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Committee Chairman Faisal Saleem expressed concern over the crime surge in Islamabad, describing an environment of heightened fear in Islamabad. He talking about public’s apprehension regarding street robberies and the broader climate of insecurity in the capital.

Islamabad Police Inspector General Ali Nasir Rizvi told the committee that the Safe City Project cameras currently covers only 30 per cent of Islamabad. He said that the Ministry of Finance has not cleared PC-I for the expansion of the project.

He said that Islamabad, with 29 entry points, sees considerable external criminal activity with 89.7 per cent of criminals coming from neighbouring provinces, making Islamabad “sandwiched” between high-crime regions.

He said that local offenders account for only 9.3 per cent of criminal cases.

IG Rizvi said that police successfully resolved 20 cases in the past six weeks. However, he said it was not possible to deploy police personnel at every street corner and residence, saying that a recent string of bank robberies has fueled public anxiety. He cited the arrest of a suspect from Sargodha who traveled to Islamabad for a robbery and returned to his hometown soon afterward.

He also told the committee that of the 130 murder cases in Islamabad this year, 67 incidents stemmed from sudden confrontations. Police acted swiftly and resolved 73 of those cases immediately, he said.

The committee asked IG Rizvi to provide official crime records of the past month. Senator Shahadat Awan sought a detailed report from the Islamabad police chief in the upcoming session.

Senator Mohsin Aziz proposed forming a sub-committee to review amendments to laws concerning rape cases, with representatives from the interior, law, and human rights ministries, who would file report findings within 10 days.