ISLAMABAD: The Senate, Monday, passed the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Bill, 2022 — which seeks to provide protection to the investors from unnecessary court proceedings, whereas, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani continued to draw the ire of the opposition for non-issuance of Azam Swati’s production order.
The passage of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Bill, 2022 is seen as a significant move against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on the RekoDiq mining project.
Reko Diq mining project: Settlement with Barrick Gold endorsed by SC
On the maiden day of the 322nd session, right from the beginning, the house, like the previous session, plunged into pandemonium after the opposition members, headed by Leader of the Opposition in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem, categorically demanded of Sanjrani to issue the production order of detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati.
The house continued for hardly over half an hour and was adjourned immediately after the bill was passed.
The senators encircled the dais of the chairman Senate and chanted slogans in favour of Swati’s release.
Sanjrani assured the house that he would issue the production order, asking the senators to settle down in their seats.
Amid protests, the chair continued with the house’s business agenda.
But the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Bill, 2022 was not part of the house’s routine business agenda and it was brought in the house in supplementary budget—a move that further infuriated the senators.
The chairman allowed Leader of the House and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to present the bill—without referring the bill to the relevant standing committee.
The treasury was of the view that the Supreme Court recently allowed the passage of this bill, and, therefore, the bill did not require the relevant committee’s nod.
Taking the floor, Tarar said that Pakistan needed foreign investment for progress and prosperity and this bill was vital in that context.
Meanwhile, Waqar Mehdi from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was sworn in as senator. He has been elected following the resignation of Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar— also from the PPP.
Khokhar had openly sided with Swati, which apparently led to his departure from the Senate.
On November 5, Swati alleged that his wife was sent an objectionable video from an unknown number that featured her with her husband.
Swati’s revelation sent shockwaves across Pakistan’s political spectrum with many politicians, regardless of their political affiliations openly siding with the PTI senator to express solidarity.
Among them was Khokhar who strongly condemned the alleged video leak. In a tweet, Khokhar deplored that Swati’s presser was a “slap on the face of the chairman Senate and the entire parliament. The thought never crossed my mind that our intelligence officials can stoop so low and become so dishonourable…”
In another tweet, Mustafa Khokhar stated, “Just got a call from a Brig from ISI that they’ve got nothing to do with the video & it was prepared on dark web told him to convince Senator Swati, not me. I stand by my colleague the way army stood by Maj Gen Faisal Naseer.” Soon after these tweets, reports were afloat that Khokhar was asked by his party leadership to resign from the Senate — which he did. Khokhar’s resignation was accepted by the Senate chief on November 10.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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