-Senate refers four Bills to Standing Committees concerned
By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Babar Awan here on Friday said the government was not withdrawing any legislation.
Dispelling the impression of withdrawing legislation given after the Thursday’s meeting of the Opposition and the government, Dr. Babar Awan clarified that the legislation done in the Parliament was valid, lawful and constitutional and would not be withdrawn.
“All the bills have been passed as per law despite the efforts by the Opposition to derail the process. The bills have been referred to the Senate of Pakistan and the relevant committees”, he said while addressing a news conference, along with State Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib. The Advisor said that the Parliament of Pakistan has passed 12 bills in one day and 21 legislative instruments the other day pending with different committees since two to three years which he termed as historic.
Three bills which have been passed are very important for the nation among which one is related to ensure safety and protection of women in response to the demand emerged after Motorway incident and the other is related to giving right of vote to the overseas Pakistanis, in compliance with the four different orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding electoral reforms and giving right of vote to overseas Pakistanis, he told.
Criticizing the non parliamentary behavior of the Opposition, he said, “This is the first ever Opposition which has boycotted the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker and the parliamentary committees, closing the doors for dialogue.”
The Opposition has trampled the sanctity of the prestigious institution of Parliament which is meant for legislating for the downtrodden segments of society empowering them, Dr. Babar Awan said. The government has always shown seriousness over bringing of transparency in election through using Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) however the Opposition parties, who want status quo to persist, are not in favour of EVM, he said.
He said those who have managed thousands of fake votes in their constituencies are feared of their failure in case of transparent election. “Election is the matter of nation in terms of determining their future not a political party or the government”, he added. Dr. Babar Awan surprisingly said the Opposition parties objecting and boycotting the bills neither read these bills nor suggested any single amendment. He said the government will play its vibrant role in the committee to be formed for addressing the issues of violating ethics and parliamentary traditions in the Parliament and opposing legislation.
“Whenever any deadlock appears, the government always steps forward and resolves issues”, the Advisor said and said since the government led by Imran Khan came into the power, the institutions were getting strength. Criticizing the Opposition leader’s stance that how the overseas Pakistanis can understand the issues of Pakistan, Dr. Babar Awan said, “If Nawaz Sharif sitting abroad can address the Pakistani nation and claim to understand the issues of Pakistan well then Overseas Pakistanis better also know the issues of the country”.
The government has always acknowledged the valuable contribution of overseas Pakistanis in terms of remittances and they must be given right to vote in elections, he stressed. He asked the Opposition leader to focus on supremacy of the Parliament for legislation
Dr. Babar Awan said that the Opposition leader instead of pursuing futile efforts for removal of the elected Prime Minister from his seat and the government through dragging institutions in the politics, should respect the sanctity of the Parliament and play constructive role. He said that the present government was ready to have dialogue with the Opposition on all matters except NRO.
Meanwhile, 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.
