The opposition parties in the National Assembly on Monday indicated to give tough time to the government in its bid to pass the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess Bill, 2014, which the House is set to pass on Tuesday to levy and collect the gas infrastructure development cess. The opposition opposed the motion moved by Chairman Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources Chuahdry Bilal Ahmad Virik in the House seeking permission for delay in the presentation of the report of the committee on the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess Bill, 2014.
However, after the opposition's move was defeated with 113 votes against 53, the mover was allowed to present the report on the Bill in the House. The Bill which was placed on the agenda of the House on Monday, however, was delayed for passage until Tuesday. The House, through a resolution, moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab also suspended the private members' day business to take up the agenda of the government on Tuesday, especially to pass the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess Bill, 2014.
In statement of object and reason of the bill it is stated that it was expedient to enact a law with the name of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess Bill, for imposition of Cess to meet the gas demand-supply gap and generate funds for a number of gas import projects and other outstanding amount payable and sums due to government of Pakistan and for matter ancillary related thereto.
In section-3 of the bill, it is stated that a mark up at the rate of four percent above three months KIBOR prescribed by the federal government shall be payable by the gas consumer or the company on any amount due under sub-section-(1), if the said amount is not paid by the said gas consumer or by the said company respectively within the prescribed time, mark up payable by the gas company or any mark up payable by gas consumer to the gas company shall be deposited in such manner as the federal government may prescribe.
The opposition parties including Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) also staged a walkout from the House against what they called the procedure of making legislation in the 'haste'. The walkout came during the course of passage of another bill, The Capital University of Science and Technology Bill, 2015 when Syed Naveed Qamar of PPP and PTI's Shireen Mazari raised objection over the process, saying that the government was bulldozing the bill by not allowing them to express their point of view.
However, PTI's disgruntled member from Peshawar Gulzar Khan did not sided with the opposition parties in their walkout. Gulzar Khan, who is also chairman standing committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, earlier presented the report on the said bill, saying that all the committee members during the hearing had unanimously passed the bill.
"The government despite its majority is trying to bulldoze the whole process by not allowing the members to express their point of view on the bill. There is no such situation to pass the bill in such emergency," said Naveed Qamar. The House, however, passed The Capital University of Science and Technology Bill, 2015 in absence of the opposition members. Two ordinances including the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 and The Cantonments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015, were also laid before the House.
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