The 24th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which stipulates the carving of the new province, Bahawalpur South Punjab, was passed by Senate on March 7. PHOTO: FILE
Lawmakers in Senate said on Thursday the ruling party’s move to pass the 23th and 24th Constitutional Amendments Bills was a “futile exercise,” as both have slim chances of sailing through the upper and lower houses of Parliament before March 16 – the day assemblies will dissolve.
The 24th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which stipulates the carving of the new province, Bahawalpur South Punjab, was passed by Senate on March 7. To be written into law, it must brave through the National Assembly where the government does not have a two-thirds majority and Punjab Assembly, where it faces stiff resistance. On the other hand, the 23th Constitutional Amendment, already tabled in the National Assembly, which seeks the increase of minority seats in the lower house of Parliament from 10 to 14, was facing similar resentment.
“Everyone knows that these cannot be passed, so why waste time and resources on trying to pass them,” inquired independent Senator Mohsin Laghari.
However, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s chief whip argued that if the sitting business could not be taken by any house of Parliament before the tenure ends, the next assembly could address pending matters. This was negated by Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, who, while citing the rules of the Senate, said that any legislation passed by one house, which didn’t reach for vote in other house before the end of the sitting assembly’s term, lapses automatically.
Judiciary under fire
PPP firebrand senator from Karachi Saeed Ghani again lashed out at the judiciary for “issuing partial judgments and observations against PPP and Sindh”. The same Senator had also made headlines in the media on Tuesday when he put a question in the upper house questioning judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts about their nationality.
On the other hand, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) walked out of the house protesting the carnage in Abbas Town, Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2013.
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PPP doesn't want the 24th Constitutional amendment to become a law as it only wants to garner the votes on this basis. If they were sincere about that, they would have passed the resolution much earlier than this.