Body agrees on ToRs of bills ‘passed in haste’

A parliamentary committee -- including both treasury and opposition members formed to review the 21 bills passed by the National Assembly on the same day in June this year – on Thursday finalised the terms of references (ToRs) related to the legislation.

If the members of the committee reach a consensus on the bills, the opposition’s suggestions would be included in them. Otherwise, a dissenting note by the opposition parties would be added.

The committee held a meeting, presided over by its chairperson JUI-F’s Shahida Akhtar Ali.

Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Babar Awan, Federal Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza, PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha and PPP’s Naveed Qamar were among those who attended it.

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The chairperson told the participants that the body was formed so that the government and the opposition could reach a consensus on the bills.

PML-N’s Abbasi, who drafted the ToRs, said if the two sides reached a consensus on the bills, the opposition’s suggestions would be included in the legislation.

In case that does not happen, a dissenting note by the opposition parties would be added to the suggestions, he added.

The National Assembly secretariat, he further said, would send the suggestions to the Senate chairman.

Babar Awan pointed out that the bills would be tabled in a joint sitting of parliament this time.

PPP’s Qamar said an understanding could be reached on the bills related to finance.

“The government will try that the bill on electoral reforms is considered first, but that’s not possible,” he added.

The committee agreed that bills pertaining to the law and finance ministries would be considered first.

In June, the government passed 21 laws in the National Assembly on the same day as the opposition boycotted the contentious session where 80-item agenda was bulldozed amidst rumpus in the lower house.

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The controversial legislations included the International Court of Justice Review and Reconsideration Bill.

The bill allows Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to have consular access in line with the ICJ verdict.

The opposition leaders, including PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf, claimed the bill was passed to protect Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Major changes proposed in the Elections (Amendment) Bill included granting increased financial autonomy to the Election Commission of Pakistan; appeal to the Supreme Court by any aggrieved person on delimitation lists; voting right for overseas Pakistanis and allowing use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections.

The other bills passed in the session include the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2020 and the Covid-19 (Prevention of Hoarding) Bill, 2020.