Infrastructure, other development funds: NA adopts motion for forming ‘special’ body

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a motion for constituting a Special Committee of the House for infrastructure and other development funds, and to discuss the promise made by the provinces for giving three percent share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to the erstwhile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). The House also adopted a motion unanimously for constituting two separate standing committees; the National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division.

The Lower House of the Parliament also passed, “The Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (Amendment) Bill, 2020” on private members’ day to ensure provision of entitlements, facilities and perks to the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) employees as available to the employees of the Senate and the National Assembly Secretariats.

Similarly, as many as 11 bills were introduced and 13 reports on various bills were presented in the house.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan moved a motion for constituting a special committee of the House for erstwhile FATA.

He said the government wants to give constitutional rights to the people of these areas.

He said that the provinces had promised to give three percent share under the NFC award to the erstwhile FATA.

He said that a special committee would be constituted for discussing the development of the said areas.

He said Punjab and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are ready to give three percent share for development of the erstwhile FATA but Sindh and Balochistan are not ready so far.

This special committee would discuss all these matters and prepare a roadmap for the development of these areas.

While objecting on the action of the government, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Syed Naveed Qamar said that a motion is being presented in the house without any notice.

He said already Sindh is not being given its share in accordance with the NFC award.

However, he said that his party is not against the formation of a special committee of the house.

The Minister of State for Parliamentary also moved a motion in the house for formation of two standing committee of the National Assembly.

The House adopted the motions with a majority which were moved by the minister.

According to “The Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (Amendment) Bill, 2020”, “Subject to the provisions of this Act and rules made hereunder, the employees of the Institute shall be entitled to such perks, entitlements, membership, facilities, including but not limited to housing and all other schemes of the government, as admissible or enjoyed or available to the employees of the Senate and National Assembly Secretariat in the corresponding equivalent scales, notwithstanding any judgment or order of any court, tribunal or a quasi-judicial authority.”

The House witnessed introduction of 11 private members’ bills which were referred to the relevant Standing Committees.

These bills were the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article-59), the Islamabad beekeeping and Honey Regulation and Production Bill, 2021, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Section 278 and Schedule-II), the Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (sections 2, 5 and 12), the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority Bill, 2021, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the National Poverty Reduction Bill, 2020, the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Ten reports of Standing Committees on Interior on as many bills were presented in the House.

These bills were the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Court) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Islamabad Capital Territory Shops, Business and Industrial Establishments (Security) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Section-9), the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (section-12), and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020 etc.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021