Annual performance: Senate passed over three dozen bills

Six ordinances were also adopted by the upper house.

ISLAMABAD:

The upper house of parliament passed as many as 22 bills in 2013, according to the Senate Secretariat. Most of the bills passed last year originated from the National Assembly and were referred to the upper house where they were passed, it said.

Some of these bills included Pakistan Academy of Letters Bill 2012, The Maritime Security Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2012; The Provincial Motor Vehicles(Amendment) Bill, 2012; The Investigation of Fair Trial Bill, 2012; The Trade Organisations Bill, 2012; The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Bill, 2012; The Darul Madina International University Islamabad Bill, 2013; The South Asia Strategic Stability Institute University Islamabad Bill, 2013; The My University Islamabad Bill, 2013; The Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2013; The Abolition of Discretionary Quotas in Housing Schemes Bill, 2012; The Anti-terrorism (Amendment)Bill, 2012; The Defence Housing Authority Islamabad Bill, 2013; The Global Exchange Impact Studies Centre Act 2013, etc.



Six ordinances passed

As many as six ordinances were presented before the house and were later passed. These included The Service of Pakistan (Redressal of Under-Representation) Ordinance, 2012; The Establishment of Office of the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012; The Federal Ombudsmen Order Institutional Reforms Ordinance, 2013; The Medical and Dental Council (Amendment Ordinance, 2013 and The Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 and The Electoral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013.

Bills introduced in Senate

There were three government and eight private members bills which were introduced in the upper house last year.

The government presented The Services of Pakistan (Redressal of Under-Representation) Ordinance, 2012; The Constitution (Twenty-fourth Amendment) Bill, 2013 and The Electoral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 before the house.

The private members bills included The Regulation of Foreign Contribution Bill, 2012; The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2013 (Article 140A); The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2013 (Article 1; The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2013 (Article 51 & 106); The Constitution (Amendment Bill, 2013; The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2013; The Pakistan Pharmacy Council Bill, 2013; The Un-attended Orphans (Rehabilitation and  Welfare) Bill, 2013 and The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2013.

Bills referred to the standing committees

As many as 22 legislative bills were referred to the relevant standing committees for discussions. The Investigation for Fair Trial Bill, 2012; The Services of Pakistan (Redressal of Under-Representation) Ordinance, 2012; The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Bill, 2012; The Islamabad Capital  Territory Private Educational Institutions(Registration and Regulation)Bill, 2013; The Constitutional (24th Amendment) Bill, 2013; The Shaheed Zulfikar Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad Bill, 2013; The Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Bill, 2013; The Capital University of Sciences and Technology Bill, 2013; The Electoral Laws(Amendment) Ordinance 2013; The Darul Madina International University Islamabad Bill, 2013, The South Asia Strategic Stability Institute University Islamabad Bill, 2013; The My University Islamabad Bill, 2013 were some of the bills referred to committees.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2014.