The Senate deputy chairman on Monday adjourned the session without announcing the result of the voting on the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2023, a proposed piece of legislation with regard to limits on private banks to issue loans to provinces.
The Senate also passed a bill seeking a raise in the salaries and perks of parliamentarians amid opposition's protest.
When Senator Mohsin Aziz of the PTI presented the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the government sought technical consultation on it. Minister of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar suggested getting feedback from the relevant ministry or committee.
Senator Aziz, however, refused to withdraw the bill or send it elsewhere. "I will neither withdraw the bill nor allow it to go anywhere," he said,
Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik said the Constitution provides a procedure for amending the functions of the State Bank of Pakistan. He said the minister of law has already provided a response, and this procedure should be followed.
Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan suggested that since the ministers had given their responses, it would be appropriate to defer the bill. However, opposition members demanded a vote on the bill's motion.
Senator Aziz argued that the bill concerns the loan limits of private banks, stating that private banks provide only 1% of annual loans to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), while Balochistan and the K-P together receive less than 1.5%.
"In contrast, Sindh and Punjab receive 98% of the loans annually. The bill has already been sent to the committee three times," he said, insisting that a voting should be conducted today to determine where everyone stands.
The deputy chairman proceeded with the vote count, and a majority of senators stood in favour of the bill. However, he ordered a recount, prompting objections from the opposition. The deputy chairman dismissed their protests, saying, "Jump or shout all you want, this won't work."
Opposition leader Shibli Faraz pointed out that a resolution against the PECA law was supposed to be introduced on Friday, but the minister for parliamentary affairs pointed out the lack of quorum.
He argued that the bill transcends political affiliations and is about the fact that two provinces suffer from terrorism while private banks remain biased in granting loans.
These banks collect money from these provinces but do not provide loans there, he said.
The deputy chairman urged members not to bring provincialism or ethnic bias into the debate, as the voting on the bill was underway.
Minister of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the bill should not be politicized. Even if it were passed here, it would still go to the National Assembly. He suggested deferring the bill and allowing the government to bring it back after consulting the relevant division.
The opposition demanded that the results of the voting be announced.
The minister responded that the responsibilities of the State Bank of Pakistan are defined under Article 74 of the Constitution. He asked, "Can you change Pakistan's name just by voting? Who would allow that?" He urged the deputy chairman to refer the bill to the standing committee through a ruling.
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