ISLAMABAD: The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday expressing the resolve to make all-out efforts to secure implementation of the resolution adopted by the 123rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, urging the international financial institutions to write off Pakistan’s debt.
The IPU resolution had urged the international community to provide market access to Pakistan to revive its economy and invest in the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects for the flood-stricken areas of Pakistan. Senators including Wasim Sajjad, Haroon Akhtar, Safdar Abbasi, Ilyas Bilour, Abbas Khan and Gulshan Saeed commended the efforts undertaken by the Senate chairman and other senators at the IPU in guarding the country’s national interests.
Taking part in the debate on law and order in the country, Abbasi called for a precise intelligence mechanism and concerted policy action to preempt terrorist activities. He said there was no unanimity in policies of Sindh and the Centre as far as law and order in Karachi was concerned.
Khan asked the government to remove grievances of the Baloch people to maintain peace in the province. He said the Baloch were fighting for their rights, adding that all the aid received through the Kerry-Lugar law went to Punjab and no other province benefited from the package.
Senator Ismail Buledi staged a walkout from the House in protest against the increasing number of abduction cases in Balochistan. Speaking on a point of order, Haji Adeel asked the government to stop ‘legalising corruption’ by denying allotment of plots to judges, generals and journalists.
The House amended the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund (FEBF) and Group Insurance (GI) Act 1969. The statement of objects and reasons states that the Board of Trustees of Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Funds are not in a position to change rate of subscription and grant towards Benevolent Fund, to meet the shortfall, due to payouts in excess of inflows.
It said the subscription rates needed to be appropriately enhanced to meet the actuarial present value of future liabilities of Fund. It was earlier decided that the schedules of contribution and disbursement of grant towards Benevolent Fund being part of Act may be transferred to and be made part of FEBF and GI Rules 1972.
