Tenth session of lower house to begin March 24; Saudi gift of $1.5b also to cause fireworks. PHOTO: FILE
The government is all set to test the nerves of the opposition in the National Assembly once again as the latter is planning to slam the controversial Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, slating it as draconian and against the fundamental rights of citizens.
The ordinance is likely to be presented before the lower house during its 10th session starting on March 24, Monday, a senior official of the National Assembly Secretariat told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
During the last session, the NA had extended the life of the ordinance for another 120 days, however, the opposition parties had not voted in favour of the decree.
The vehement resistance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl made the government defer the bill.
However, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s position regarding the bill is quite interesting – the party has opposed the bill in the Senate whereas its views in the lower house are conciliatory. Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah, who is a PPP member, had asked the government to defer the bill for some days to develop consensus.
According to the parliamentary procedure, an ordinance is issued when the National Assembly is not in session and it is mandatory for the government to table it either before the Senate or the lower house in its first session after the ordinance’s promulgation.
The standing committee treats the ordinance as a bill and in case it delays its passage, the house can directly take it up, explained the official.
In addition, the government is likely to present the 23rd Constitutional Amendment in the lower house for passage in order to extend the quota of jobs for another 20 years with an amendment in Article 27.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, Article 27 of the Constitution provides safeguards against discrimination in services. In order to provide opportunity and representation to all classes of persons and areas in service, clause (1) of the article provides that for a period not more than 40 years from the commencing day of the constitution, certain posts may be reserved for persons belonging to any class or area.
It has been felt that since equal opportunity of education and other facilities are not yet available to all citizens of Pakistan, the period of 40 years specified in clause (1) may be extended to 60 years.
Other than the legislative business, the house is likely to witness some fireworks over the government’s explanation on receiving $1.5 billion from Saudi Arabia “as a gift”.
As the government had not received the $1.5 billion during the previous session, the opposition will grill the treasury members on the “gift”. Khursheed Shah has recently rejected the government’s explanation, saying it was hiding facts.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2014.
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