National Assembly session is currently taking place in Islamabad. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers staged a vociferous protest in the National Assembly on Wednesday after Prime Minister Imran Khan left the house without responding to any queries.
The proceedings started with prayers for the people martyred in the bomb blast near Data Darbar in Lahore.
The prime minister arrived in the house but soon left with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Amir Dogar.
The opposition lawmakers staged a protest over the premier’s abrupt departure from the assembly and held placards inscribed with slogans against the rising prices of essential commodities.
On Speaker Asad Qaiser’s instructions, ministers Pervez Khattak and Noorul Haq Qadri tried to placate the opposition and took Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khawaja Asif to the lobby to pacify the situation.
Later while responding to lawmakers’ queries, Federal Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema said the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme had been launched in several areas and the construction of houses would start soon.
He said around 130,000 houses would be built in Gwadar alone under the project.
“Houses will also be constructed in Quetta,” he added.
The minister said Rs5 billion would be reserved for the residents of informal settlements. “This money will be given to those who can’t afford to buy a house.”
Cheema explained that each house would cost Rs3 million. “An interest-free loan of Rs2.7 million will be provided to deserving families to buy the house and the project will be led by the private sector,” he said.
Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali moved the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Interest on Private Loans Bill, 2019.
PTI MNAs did raise objections over the bill. Minister of State on Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said there were clear instructions about loan interest in the Holy Quran and the government could not even consider opposing the bill. It was referred to the relevant standing committee.
PTI lawmaker Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani moved the Protection of Persons against forced Religious Conversion Bill, 2019. It was referred to the standing committee concerned.
MNA Mohsin Dawar’s amendment bill concerning Pakistani citizenship was rejected after the ruling party opposed it.
Dawar said his bill related to the foreigners who married Pakistani women but were still not granted the country’s citizenship. He pointed out that Pakistani men were granted citizenship in other countries when they married their citizens.
Interior Minister Brigadier (retd) Ijaz Shah responded that each country had its own priorities and such a law could be misused.
PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri introduced the Day Care Centres Bill, 2019 aimed at setting up day care centres in the premises public and private sector establishments.
Four Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers Kishwer Zehra, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Usama Qadri and Salahuddin sponsored a bill to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
The bill called the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Section 166A, B, 176A, B, C, D, E, F and G) suggests that crimes should be investigated using modern, scientific methods. It was referred to the relevant committee for consideration.
MQM-P’s Kishwer Zehra introduced the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Article 51 and 59) which was also referred to the committee concerned. This bill aims at changing the composition of seats in the National Assembly.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ