Daily Times

The National Assembly on Tuesday extended the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 and the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 for a further period of 120 days with effect from May 19.

The lower house of the parliament resumed its session with Speaker Asad Qaisar in the chair. The house transacted private members business in the session.

Advisor to the PM for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan on behalf of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed moved that the National Assembly resolves to extend the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 (I of 2021) for a further period of 120 days w.e.f 19-5-2021, under proviso to sub-paragraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of clause (2) of Article 89 of the constitution in the House.

The House also adopted the resolution that the National Assembly resolves to extend the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance , 2021 (II of 2021) for a further period of 120 days w.e.f 19-05-2021, under proviso to sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (a) of clause (2) of Article 89 of the constitution.

Similarly, the House also adopted a resolution that the National Assembly resolves to extend the PAF Air War College Institute Ordinance , 2021 (III of 2021) for a further period of 120 days w.e.f 20-05-2021, under proviso to sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (a) of clause (2) of Article 89 of the constitution.

Earlier, Dr Awan moved a resolution to suspend the rules to take up the government agenda on private member day.

The opposition lawmakers including Syed Naveed Qamar and Shahida Akhtar Ali objected to the treasury benches move to take up the government business. However, Awan said that these resolutions were on the agenda of the house for the last session and has to drop that the House could discuss Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinian people.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Minister for National Education and Professional Training Shahfqat Mahmood said that inefficient civil servants will be sent on retirement with all financial benefits after proper scrutiny to improve performance of the civil servants.

He was responding to a calling attention notice moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Nafisa Shah and others regarding compulsory retirement of more than 300 CSS officers in violation of Civil Servant Act 1973, causing grave concern amongst the public.

The minister said a scrutiny committee under the chairmanship of chairman Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is looking into the matter and no arbitrary action will be taken. He added that Section 13 (1) of the Civil Servant Act 1973 fully empowers the government to devise rules to evaluate performance of bureaucrats. Responding to another question, Parliamentary Secretary on Interior Shaukat Ali informed the house that the allotment of farmhouses violating Capital Development Authority by-laws will be cancelled after fulfilling all the codal formalities. He said only 96 out of total 621 farmhouses in Islamabad are functioning as per law. He said 542 farmhouses are active at present, 81 have violated covered area rules, while 365 are not doing any kind of farming, which is the main objective of establishing farmhouses in the federal capital so that residents of Islamabad can get fresh vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products.