Ruling party coaxes opposition into joint session

President summons session on March 21 following meeting between govt, opposition representatives


Our Correspondent March 18, 2016
President summons session on March 21 following meeting between govt, opposition representatives. PHOTO: NA.GOV.PK

ISLAMABAD:


The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has finally persuaded the opposition into holding a joint session of parliament to take up pending legislation, in particular the controversial Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Bill.


President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday summoned a joint session for March 21, following a meeting between the government and opposition in the National Assembly.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar led the government team which met opposition members in the NA speaker’s chamber. Leader of Opposition in NA Khursheed Shah from Pakistan Peoples Party, Dr Arif Alvi and Shafqat Mehmood from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and Sahibzada Tariqullah from Jamaat-e-Islami attended the meeting on behalf of the opposition.

During the meeting it was decided that on Monday (March-21), the government will bring forth a bill regarding gas theft in the session. And before the session, the government would brief the opposition team about the PIA bill.

Earlier this Monday, the government had deferred a motion in NA to refer the PIA bill to a joint session of parliament after the opposition demanded more time to discuss it. After two days, the issue was once again deferred. However, a motion in this regard is likely on Friday (today).

The joint session has been summoned to take up pending legislation including eight Senate bills which were sent to NA but lapsed after they were not passed in 90 days.

The eight Senate bills include the Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2015, the Anti- Honour Killing Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2015, the Privatisation Commission (Second Amendment) Bill 2015, the Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape (Prevention and Punishment) Bill 2015 and the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Bill 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2016.

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