The National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday passed the Capital University Islamabad Bill 2013, leaving 77 percent of its agenda unaddressed, as legislators from the Awami National Party (ANP) expressed concerns over “bulldozing legislations” in the House.
Meanwhile MMA Parliamentarians staged a protest walkout on the killing of labourors in Passni.
The Lower House met under Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi for the seventh sitting of its 50th session, with a delay of 30 minutes. As usual, legislators showed little interest in the proceedings, as only 34 MNAs were present at the start of the sitting.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Yasmeen Rehman tabled the Capital University Islamabad Bill 2013, despite the fact that the House was having a private members day. She floated a motion to suspend the business of the House to get the bill passed.
Federal Minister for Professional and Technical Training Sheikh Waqas Akram did not oppose the bill, and observed silence on the issue; however ANP’s legislators opposed the legislation underway.
ANP’s Bushra Gohar raised objections that the majority of the House was unaware of the draft and the main points of the bills, saying that it was unfortunate. She said the ruling coalition should not bulldoze the legislation in emergency, as there was no need for that.
The ANP’s lawmakers demanded the house to provide copies of the draft of the bill so that the members could see it and then decide what stance they should adopt. They said that legislation without knowing the contents was similar to shooting an arrow in the dark.
PPP’s Shazia Murree opposed the ANP members, saying the members were well aware of the bill and its contents.
She said the bill was not being laid in the House in any emergency, as the procedure started months ago, adding that the bill had been reviewed at various forums.
PPP’s Chief Whip and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Shah rejected the objections raised by ANP legislator Bushra Gohar, saying the impression of “bulldozing the bill” was wrong as the legislation had not been bulldozed in the house at the eleventh hour.
The specific legislation, Shah said, remained under review in various standing committees of the House and the members had given their feedback on the issue.
Later, the deputy speaker read the bill and it was passed unanimously after a clause-to-clause reading, as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other opposition parties refused to oppose the legislation and did not present any amendment in the draft.
Standing Committee on National Regulation and Services Chairman Iqbal Qadri, who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), presented the report on the Bill to establish the Pakistan Psychological Regulatory Authority (PPRA) [The Pakistan Psychological Regulatory Authority Bill 2012], following which once again the business of the house was suspended, to which Bushra Gohar expressed her strongest concerns at the occasion.
PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, flanked by Bushra Gohar, pointed out the technical flaws present in the legislation. Khursheed Shah failed to defend the bill, and it was deferred until consensus could be reached on the issue.
Members of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) also expressed their reservations on the poor law and order situation in Quetta and condemned the recent incident in which around a half dozen labourers had been gunned downed in Pasni. Later, they staged a walkout while demanding of the government to arrest those responsible.
PML-N’s Begum Sherien Arshad introduced the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2013, following which the government benches announced to not to oppose the legislation, to which the deputy speaker sent bill to the relevant standing committee for review.
Despite having a private members’ day, the private members failed to present their bills in the house because of the absence of Riaz Fityana and Donia Aziz.
A Calling Attention Notice regarding illegal supply of explosives especially in Karachi was taken up during the proceedings.
