NA passes bill amending 1947’s anti-corruption act

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill amending the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, by enhancing punishments during a session abuzz with chatter regarding the Senate elections scheduled for March 3 (today) than the usual legislative business.

Long before the lower house of parliament gave its assent for the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2020, a lawmaker from the treasury benches jokingly asked about the final rate for a lawmaker if one was willing to sell his vote for a candidate in the polls of the upper house of parliament.

During the chit-chat before the session formally started, the lawmaker laughingly regretted that neither the treasury nor the opposition was coming up with an offer which was hard to decline.

As a few lawmakers laughed, the PTI’s MNA recalled a couplet of Allama Muhammad Iqbal – “Hum Tau Mayal Ba-Karam Hain, Koi Sa’il Hi Nahin” [Behold, my hands are full of gifts, but who comes seeking here?] – and smiled towards the opposition benches. As the chatter continued, another MNA from the ruling party brought seriousness to lawmakers’ faces, saying that losing the Senate polls from the capital means everything is over for all of us as well.

Though the subject of corruption has remained close to the ruling PTI’s heart, discussion on the Senate election took up most part of Tuesday’s session. The MNAs moved freely across treasury and opposition benches, continued discussions in huddles and appeared least interested in the official business.

Amid the chatter, MNA Sher Akbar Khan and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri were the only ones reading the agenda items. No one even bothered to say anything when the bill was presented for a vote. Akbar was the only one who thumped the desk when the bill was finally passed by the house.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill stated that corruption threatens economic development, destabilises society and jeopardises rule of law.

It said that the public resources are meant for social welfare and to provide basic facilities like health, education and develop infrastructure.

However, it said, these resources are being looted through corrupt practices thus increasing poverty and sufferings of the citizens.

“Corruption weakens service delivery, damages reputation of the country and hinders foreign direct investment,” it read, adding that to control the menace of corruption and to make the existing law on prevention of corruption more effective, punishments provided therein may be enhanced.

The bill has amended Section 5 of the 1947 act by substituting the expression “seven years, or with fine”, to the expression “10 years but not less than five years”. Through the amendment in Section 5B(a)(1) the words “provincial government” have been substituted with “government and institution where government capital, share or control is involved”. Section 5B(B)(2) has enhanced punishment [imprisonment] from three years to 10, which can’t be less than five years.

In 5C(1)(a), the punishment is enhanced from seven to 10 years and in 5C(1)(b), the expression provincial government has been changed to government concerned.

Apart from the anti-corruption bill, the NA passed another bill for the establishment of Ibadat International University [The Ibadat International University, Islamabad Bill, 2021].

Several reports of the standing committee were presented before the house during the session, which started 11:50am and was adjourned at 1:11pm.