With no opposition member in the National Assembly taking interest in the legislation process, the treasury benches made hay with lawmaking process, passing three important bills unanimously in ten minutes without an objection.
The House deferred debate on the shortage of fertilizer in the country per the motion moved by the Syed Khursheed Shah. Though a debate was also on the agenda of the session, it was deferred due to the absence of Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The significant feature of the proceedings was the return of rebel PPP MNA from Balochistan, Nasir Ali Shah, who was staging a sit-in outside parliament against targeted killing of people belonging to Hazara ethnicity in and around Quetta. On the assurance of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Nasir Shah ended his boycott.
The House also unanimously adopted a resolution pertaining to ensuring preventable maternal mortality as basic human rights.
Taking up the legislative business, the Lower House passed three bills. It adopted the Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) 2009 to empower the existing tribunal to entertain appeals against the decisions of National Tariff Commission.
The Banks (Nationalization) Amendment Bill 2010, passed by the House seeks removal of House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC) from the Banks (Nationalization) Act 1974 in the light of non-agreement of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to classify HBFC as a bank or DFI.
The Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill 2010, moved by law minister Maula Bux Chandio, seeking appointment of special magistrates to try the cases of profiteering, hoarding, black-marketing, adulteration and selling of expired food items food was also passed unanimously.
