Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari postponed discussion on the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 on Thursday.
The bill, introduced in the National Assembly on Dec 17 grants amnesty to those who dodged the tax net and did not maintain a record of their assets with the state’s treasury.
On a point of order, Senator Raza Rabbani objected tabling of the bill in the Upper House of the Parliament, alleging that this was in violation of Article 73 of the Constitution as the bill was not laid simultaneously in both houses of the parliament. Reading out article 73, Rabbani said that the y bill had to be laid before members of both houses of the parliament simultaneously and the Senate would have to send its recommendations to the National Assembly within 14 days. Rabbani added that the bill was introduced in he National Assembly on Dec 17 while it was tabled in Senate on December 20. He said that the Senate had been deprived of four days to look into the bill.
Leader of the Opposition Senator Ishaq Dar agreed with Rabbani on the matter and said that the bill was a serious violation of the Constitution. He also said that the government cannot declare any bill a money bill without verification of the Speaker National Assembly. Ishaq added that under the bill FBR had been granted powers of the parliament to introduce tax amnesty schemes
Minister of State for Finance Saleem H. Mandviwala said that the bill may be deferred for Friday and the Finance Minister would answer the queries of the legislators today.
