Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Opposition on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Senate for removing the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms from the cabinet agenda.

The session was presided over by Senate Deputy Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.

On a point of order, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Ilyas Bilour said that a committee had been formed for constitutional reforms in FATA, but the work was stopped as one person who had a different view.

Threatening a sit-in if FATA was not merged with KP, Bilour gave the government a March 12 deadline.

Senator Azam Musakhel said that no decision should be imposed on the tribal people without consulting them.

“The decisions about FATA will be taken by the representatives and people of FATA. If we impose our decisions on FATA, the region might turn into a new Bangladesh,” he added.

Senator Sirajul Haq said his party was standing firm with the people of FATA.

“There are separate laws in KP and FATA. History has given government an opportunity to make a decision that would change Pakistan,” he said.

The House witnessed introduction of four bills, including the Limited Liability Partnership Bill, 2017; the Pakistan Climate Change Bill, 2017; the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Costs of Litigation Bill, 2017. All the bills were referred to relevant committees for further deliberations.

A legislative proposal – the Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill, 2017 – was deferred for consideration in any of the next sitting. The copy of Money Bill, the Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was presented to make any recommendations to the National Assembly.

The inter-provincial coordination minister presented annual report of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for financial year 2015-2016.

The Standing Committee on National Health Services chairman presented a report on the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Standing Committee on Commerce chairman presented a report on the budgetary allocation and its utilisation by the Commerce Ministry for the financial year 2016-17.

The Functional Committee on Devolution chairman presented a report regarding placement of regulatory authorities under the ministries.

The Senate was informed that efforts were underway to gradually adopt Islamic mode of financing.

Law Minister Zahid Hamid told the House during question hour that the State Bank had allowed three types of Islamic banking whereas every bank operating in the country has its own Shariah Board to seek guidance. He said 11.4 percent of total assets, whereas 13.2 percent of total deposits by June 2016 were under Islamic banking.

To a question, he said GST on gas and industrial sector had not been increased. He said standard rates of sales tax on supply of gas to industrial sector remain the same.

To another question, Science and Technology Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain said that packaged milk had now been included in the mandatory list of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority. He said after evaluation of the laboratory results and conformity assessment compliance, licences would be issued to the units to process milk for packaging. He said open market sampling had also been conducted to check quality of milk through testing from laboratories.

To to a question, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said 75 percent of the total amount under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was investment. He said bulk of CPEC projects were related to energy to make Pakistan self-reliant in this sector. He said all the investments under CPEC could not come through Pakistan’s national exchequer and investors were directly investing in energy sector whereas the government was to buy power from them.