ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Friday laid two money bills - Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020 and COVID-19 (Prevention of Smuggling) Bill 2020 - in the Upper House of Parliament for its recommendations on both these bills.
Presiding over the Senate session, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani directed the members of the House to finalize their recommendations on both the money bills by the coming Monday.
Including these two money bills, the number of money bills presently laid in the Senate becomes four. On June 5, Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which is a money bill was laid in Senate. On June 12, Finance Bill 2020 was laid in Senate.
Constitutionally, the Upper House of the Parliament can hold extensive debate on a money bill and devise recommendations accordingly but it has practically no role in budgetary legislation involving a money bill since it is completely up to the National Assembly to either completely or partially accept those recommendations or hand them an outright rejection.
Moreover, a money bill does not land in Senate or seek the Upper House's nod for passage in order to become a law. It only needs to be passed by the NA with simple majority and then requires a ceremonial ascent from the President of Pakistan in order to become a law.
The Article 73 which deals with parliamentary business with respect to money bills reads, "(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in Article 70, a Money Bill shall originate in the National Assembly: Provided that simultaneously when a Money Bill, including the Finance Bill containing the Annual Budget Statement, is presented in the National Assembly, a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the Senate which may, within fourteen days, make recommendations thereon to the National Assembly.
(1A) The National Assembly shall, consider the recommendations of the Senate and after the bill has been passed by the Assembly with or without incorporating the recommendations of the Senate, it shall be presented to the President for assent."
Later, speaking on the floor of the House, Leader of the House in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem said Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the government authorities to take all possible with a view to facilitating overseas Pakistanis. "On the direction of the PM, special steps are being taken to facilitate overseas Pakistanis. The PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) has increased its flights to repatriate Pakistanis stranded in foreign countries. The flights of foreign airlines are also allowed to operate following SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)," he said.
Briefing the House on the elevation of India as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, India's efforts to isolate Pakistan diplomatically have proved counterproductive.
"India has strained its relations with all the regional countries including China and Nepal. Unnerved with this embarrassment, India could resort to a false flag operation against Pakistan. We will give a befitting and immediate response if India cast an evil eye on Pakistan," he said.
The foreign minister rejected the impression that Pakistan gave India a walkover to become a non-permanent member of the UNSC. "Pakistan did not abstain but voted against non-permanent membership of India for the unconstitutional steps it took in occupied Jammu and Kashmir on 5th of August last year. However, there is a process to become the non-permanent member of the UNSC. This membership is given on rotational basis for a period of two years. Pakistan and India both have held this seat for seven times each," he said. India had been campaigning to become non-permanent member of the UNSC since 2013, Qureshi said, adding that Pakistan has also started its campaign to become the non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2025-26.
Meanwhile, senators from treasury and opposition benches took part in debate on the Finance Bill 2020. The treasury senators including Mohsin Aziz and Faisal Javed Khan from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) termed the budget as "business-friendly and tax-free" while opposition senators including Mushahid Hussain from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Sitara Ayaz from Awami National Party (ANP) and others criticized the budget as "anti-poor." Senate would meet again on Monday.
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