Daily Times

The Senate on Friday offered Fateha for the security personnel martyred at Turbat in a terrorist attack and also for the departed soul of the brother of Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani asked Senator Mushtaq Ahmed to lead the Fateha. The House also prayed for the early recovery of former Senator Usman Khan Kakar and relatives of parliamentarians.

Later, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Senator Waleed Iqbal presented a report of the Committee on the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 aimed at establishing an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, children, elders and any vulnerable person against domestic violence.

He also presented a report of the Committee on the Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Bill, 2021. This legislative proposal aims to ensure well-being, comfort and dignity of the senior citizens.

Speaking about these legislative pieces, Senator Waleed Iqbal thanked all the committee members for their efforts and support in oversight and reviewing of these two bills. He said both bills were thoroughly reviewed in the Committee and these would provide protection and safety to the poor and deprived people.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani said that we have no objection to these bills but they need time to review the proposed amendments. Parliamentary Leader Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Azam Nazir Tarar also demanded the same for comprehension of the bills by the lawmakers.

Leader of the House Dr. Shahzad Waseem said that both bills had been already debated in the committee and also adopted the amendments proposed by the lawmakers.

He said that both bills were of public importance and stressed urgency in passing it. He said that his party believes in the content of the bills and their purposes.

Taking part in the debate, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that these Bills were reviewed line by line in the committee following which amendments were made. She demanded unanimous passage of the bills after review by the committee.

Taking part in Debate, Senator Shireen Rehman appreciated the Minister’s efforts in these two bills; however, she said her two bills had been missing after being passed from the Upper House.

Chairman Senate said the lawmakers should review these bills including the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 and Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Bill, 2021.Both bills would be part of agenda on Monday (June 21), he added.

The government on Friday moved four bills related to re-organization of medical teaching and national health institutes, and to amend the Mutual Legal Assistance ((Criminal Matters) Act, 2020 and the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020 in the Senate, which were referred to the standing committees concerned for further consideration after the House’s approval.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented “The Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Bill-2021” to re-organize the federal medical teaching institutes and “The National Institute of Health (Re-organization) Bill, 2011, as passed by the National Assembly, on behalf of Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Zaheer-ud-Din Babar Awan.

He also moved the bills to further amend the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act, 2020 [The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights (Amendment) Bill,2021 as passed by the National Assembly, on behalf Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Minister for Law and Justice Senator Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem respectively.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Yusuf Raza Gilani suggested deferring the bills as a parliamentary committee, announced by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, was in the making to look into the concerns of the legislative business completed in the Lower House of the Parliament on June 10.

Upon which, Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani observed the House proceedings could not be withheld as per the Constitutional requirement and these bills would be just referred to the standing committees after the House approval for further necessary deliberations on them.

The opposition lawmakers agreed with the views of the chairman and okayed the bills for sending to the committees concerned.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior here on Friday passed Islamabad Rent Restriction Amendment Bill 2020, moved by Senator Seemi Ezdi.

The Committee which met with Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair, also passed Pakistan Arms (Amendment) Bill 2021, moved by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Bill 2020, moved by Senator Fawzia Arshad was pending and a Special Committee was constituted for further deliberation.

While taking up Public Petitions, an appeal from overseas Pakistanis to save their life savings was heard and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was directed to submit a complete report within 10 days with complete details.

The case of an unauthorized encroachment on a farm house near Dargah Shah, Mirpur Sakro, was disposed of.

Among other Senators, the meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition Yousuf Raza Gillani, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Saifullah Abro, Samina Mumtaz, Faisal Saleem Rehman, Shahdat Awan, Fawzia Arshad, Faisal Ali Sabzwari, Ahmed Khan and senior officers from the Ministry of Interior, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Sindh and Punjab Police along with all concerned.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Friday appreciated the government’s public welfare initiatives and the budgetary allocations for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Participating in the budget debate in the Senate, he said the government had taken remarkable steps for promotion of the agriculture sector, which was considered the backbone of the national economy. He said that around 65-70 percent of the country was associated with the agriculture sector and alone 8.4 million women were working in Punjab fields to produce various crops.

The Senator said it was the hallmark of the PTI government that all crops remained in profit during the last three years due to its farmer-friendly policies; however, there could be some issue with meeting the set targets. He said that this year, around Rs1100 billion had been injected in the agrarian economy, besides billions of rupees interest-free loans were being given to the farming community for purchase of fertilizer and agriculture related equipment to increase their production. He also appreciated the government for providing housing facilities to low-income groups, and highlighted the importance of expanding the tax-base to collect maximum revenue.

Ejaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan drastically reduced the expenses of the Prime Minister House and Office under the government’s austerity drive. Contrary to previous prime ministers, he said, Imran Khan had no camp office.

He expressed the confidence that the country would be transformed into a true welfare state like Madina under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.