Government presents list of 15 bills sans GST (Amendment) Bill 2010: National Assembly's Business Advisory Committee

To remove reservations of the opposition, the government on Monday presented a list of 15 bills sans General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2010 before the National Assembly's Business Advisory Committee to be passed during the current session of the Lower House.
The committee met with Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi in the chair at the Parliament House to discuss the business of the House for 27th Session of the National Assembly. The list of the bills has been presented before the committee to remove reservations of the opposition parties regarding presentation of bills in the House without taking them into confidence.
The 15 bills carrying the list, however, does not mention about the General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2010 which is still in process with the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance.
The list with title "Government bills ready for passage till 26th session, 2010" comprised the National Commission for Human Development (Amendment) Bill, 2009, the Federal Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2009, the Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Bill, 2009, the National Defence University Bill, 2009, the Banks (Nationalisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2010, the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority Bill, 2010, the Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2010, the Press, Newspaper, News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2008, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2008, the National Vocation and Technical Education Commission Bill, 2008, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2007, the Registration (Amendment) Bill,2010 the Federal Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2009, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2008 and the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Bill, 2010.
Speaking on floor of the House, Minister for Labour and Manpower, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that copies of the 15 bills have been provided to the members of the House Business Advisory Committee adding that it will be made a tradition in future that no other bill be tabled in the House for passage before it has been okayed by the House Business Advisory Committee.
He added that copies of the bills being tabled in the House would also be provided to the members prior to its presentation in the House. Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, while speaking lauded the move saying that this practice should be continued in future.
Besides, the committee decided after thorough discussion that the 27th Session of the National Assembly would continue till January 7, 2011. It was decided that the National Assembly will take up various laws pending for legislation apart from discussion on issues concerning the public. It was also decided that the sessions will be held in mornings except on the first working day from next week onwards.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, PPP's MNA Nawab Muhammad Yousaf Talpur, PML-N's Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, PML-Q's Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, MQM's Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, ANP's Jamila Gilani and Fata's MNA Shaukat Ullah.