The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the National Assembly Secretariat Employees (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which amends the National Assembly Secretariat Employees Act, 2018. The bill was moved by Syed Naveed Qamar.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar appreciated the mover, stating that the amendments would help ensure greater transparency. He explained that, under the bill, appointments for positions up to Grade 15 would be made through advertisements to ensure merit-based hiring. For positions above Grade 15, appointments would be conducted through the Public Service Commission. “I fully support and endorse the amendments proposed by the mover,” the minister added.
Separately, the National Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to establish the Nippon Institute of Advanced Sciences, titled The Nippon Institute of Advanced Sciences Bill, 2024. The bill, moved by Zahra Wadood Fatemi, will now proceed to the Senate for approval.
Meanwhile, on the request of Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer, The Pakistan Animal Science Council Bill, 2024 was referred to the relevant committee for further deliberation and consideration. Aliya Kamran, who had moved the bill, urged the chair to pass it, noting that the Senate had already approved the legislation.
However, the minister said that certain provisions of the bill required further examination. He emphasized that input from the committee, which includes representation from all political parties, would help improve the bill’s final version.
As many as eleven bills were laid in the National Assembly on Tuesday and referred to the committees concerned by the Chair for further consideration.
The bills introduced include the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Protection of Rights of Regularized Civil Servants and Employees Bill, the Westminster University of Emerging Sciences and Technologies, Islamabad Bill, 2024, the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, (Section 498AA), the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024, (Section 54A), the Corrosive Substances Assault (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2024, the Climate Accountability Bill, 2024, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024,(Amendment of Schedule II), the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Ghurki Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2024.
Meanwhile, MNA Ms. Asiya Naz Tanoli later withdrew the Drug Testing in Educational Institutions Bill, 2024 introduced by her.