The National Assembly on Tuesday passed 'The Capital University Islamabad Bill, 2013' with majority amid strong opposition by a coalition partner of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP). The Bill was moved by MNA Yasmeen Rehman of PPP. Federal Minister for Education and Training Sheikh Waqas Akram did not oppose the Bill.
However, Bushra Gohar, a senior parliamentarian of ANP, expressed concerns over the Bill and said that lawmakers needed time for an in-depth study. She said that the Speaker should defer the adoption of the Bill till next week, instead of passing it in haste.
She urged the Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Faisal Kareem Kundi, that rules and regulations of the lower house pertaining to the legislative business should be followed.
"Federal Minister for Education and Training, Sheikh Waqas Akram is also unaware of the Bill...how can rest of parliamentarians arrive at any conclusion? The house must allow some time to lawmakers to study the Bill, enabling them to take part in the discussion," she said.
The house witnessed that the ruling PPP had rushed several laws during the current session, she maintained. Snubbing aside reservation of the ANP parliamentarian, Chief Whip of PPP Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that as per practice, almost all proposed drafts had been discussed in relevant Standing Committees of the National Assembly and after developing a consensus, the committees forwarded them to the House for adoption. The government, he said, was not adopting any Bill in haste.
The Bill aims at contributing to the higher education in Pakistan by promoting , innovation, research , training and learning in fields of both social and natural sciences. Meanwhile, a Bill titled 'The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2013' was also introduced in the lower House. MNA Shireen Arshad Khan, the bill's mover, said that Section 14 of the Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951(II of 1951) dealt with dual citizenship.
According to the Bill: if a citizen of Pakistan with dual nationality having taken oath of other country indulges himself in any unconstitutional activity , he shall make himself liable for being deprived of Pakistan Citizenship.
Calling Attention Notice Minister of State for Interior Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Waraich informed the House that criminals involved in creating law and order situation in Karachi are backed by foreign elements.
Responding to a call-attention notice on illegal supply of explosives, especially in Karachi, Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Waraich told the lower House of parliament that militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Talban Pakistan had sneaked into various parts of the country, particularly Karachi, after they were rooted out from Swat after a military operation.
He said that Karachi was considered a safe haven place to hide because of its large population, adding that the explosive material used in terrorist activities was being manufactured locally. Appreciating a proposal moved by MQM parliamentarians about the installation of scanners at all entry and exist points of the city, Waraich said that smuggling of arms and explosive material to Karachi could be controlled if scanners were installed.
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