AJK legislative assembly. PHOTO: EXPRESS
At the outset of session, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Chaudhry Javed Iqbal presented a draft bill titled “Azad Jammu and Kashmir interim constitution (13th amendment) Act 2018” in the House for approval. The House unanimously approved the bill and referred it to the concerned committee.
MLA Abdul Rasheed Turabi speaking on point of order objected that the draft bill is in English language and there should be a translated copy of the bill in Urdu as well. Another opposition member Abdul Majid Khan also objected on referring the bill to the committee and informed that an important member of the house Chaudhry Abdul Majid is out country and government should not pass the bill in haste and in absence of important members.
Earlier on Monday constitutional amendments bill mainly aimed at doing away with the financial and administrative powers of the AJK Council was presented in AJK Legislative Assembly. The new piece of law will empower the AJK assembly and the government as being chosen representative of the people of the state to exhaustively exercise their legislative powers and executive authority.
The AJK government tabled the bill in the state legislature only after the National Security Committee had agreed in principle to empower the AJK government by stripping the Council of its administrative and fiscal powers.
Under the amendment state government will not only have more administrative and financial powers but it will also provide constitutional cover would be given to local bodies election to devolve powers down to the gross root level which were earlier held through a ordinance of the government.
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