Summaries about legislation thru official bills: Cabinet Division directs all ministries/divisions to follow prescribed rules

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division has directed all the ministries/divisions to follow prescribed rules for submission of summaries regarding legislation through official bills to the Cabinet/Cabinet Committee on disposal of Legislative Business (CCLC).

These instructions have been conveyed by senior Joint Secretary Cabinet Division Taimur Tajammal to all the secretaries/in charge secretaries of all ministries/ divisions.

The federal government has prepared Rules of Business, 1973 in pursuance of Article 90 and 99 of the Constitution of Pakistan to carry out its business. It has been observed that cases submitted for consideration of the CCLC are not submitted in conformity with the procedure prescribed in the Rules of Business, 1973.

According to the Cabinet Division, Rule 27 envisages that prior to bringing a proposed legislation for the consideration of Federal Cabinet, or its committee, an in-principle approval of the Cabinet in an essential step before initiating the proposal to amend a substantive law with substantive changes.

Proviso to Rule 27 clearly states that only where an insignificant/minor amendment is being proposed in an existing law, in principle, approval shall be dispensed with. It has been, however, noted with concern that many legislative proposals, which are substantive in nature, are being brought to the CCLC directly without obtaining approval, in principle, of the Cabinet.

In some cases, proposed amendments run against prior government policies and tantamount to changing the original intent of the law and architecture of the institutions created through it.

The Cabinet Division is of the view that it may be ensured that while submitting the official bills before the Cabinet/CCLC, the procedure prescribed in rule 27-30 of the Rules of Business, 1973 and the Cabinet Division’s instructions issued from time to time in this regard are observed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022