The National Assembly Friday passed 'The Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill, 2016' with some amendments to effectively use the methods of conciliation, arbitration, mediation and Panchayat (local council) for settlement of disputes to overcome delays, provide inexpensive justice and reduce tremendous burden on courts.
Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid tabled the Bill in the House for passage. The opposition members supported the system of Panchayat, conciliation, arbitration and mediation but raised some objections on the Bill. They said that there is a need to define the Panchayat and other methods for dispute resolution. However, Minister Zahid Hamid also moved some amendments as proposed by the opposition which were incorporated in the Bill. After it, Dr Arif Alvi withdrew the amendments proposed by the opposition.
Dr Nafisa Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPP-P) said that there is need to define the Panchayat and other methods.
Shafqat Mahmood of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the people avoid going police stations and courts because they think that they would not get justice timely due to rampant corruption.
He said that these methods would be fruitful but there is a concern that they could be politicised.
He said that for this purpose, high courts should play their role in appointment of neutral persons for Panchayat system. There is need to define the Panchayat, he said.
SA Iqbal Qadri of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan also said that there are many loopholes in the Bill and it could not be imposed in the provinces unless a resolution is not passed by the concerned provincial assembly.
Dr Shireen Mazari of PTI said that the bill should be revised because it would not protect the women. She said that a specific section should be included in the Bill for the protection of women.
Zahid Hamid said that all opposition members supported the motto of the Bill. He said that arbitrators would be appointed with the consultation of high courts. He said this law would be only implemented in Islamabad Capital Territory. It is a test case to introduce this system in Islamabad. "If it succeeds then we will extend it to the provinces," he added.
He said the system will be compulsorily applicable to twenty-three types of cases. The system will have components of conciliation, arbitration and Panchayat.
According to the Bill, "The government, after consultation with the High Court, shall notify in the official gazette a panel of neutrals for each district from amongst lawyers, retired judges of superior and subordinate judiciary, retired civil servants, social workers, Ulema, jurists, technocrats and experts and such other person of repute and integrity having such qualifications and experiences as may be prescribed.
"If the efforts of the neutral fail to bring about a settlement between the parties or do not result in an award, the neutral shall submit a report to the court which shall proceed with the case from the stage it was referred for the ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution)."
Earlier, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch informed the House that rehabilitation and reconstruction work is being carried out in FATA at a cost of Rs 80 billion which will be completed next year.
Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Qaiser Jamal and others regarding non-inclusion of NA-47 for rehabilitation and reconstruction works, the minister said priority is being given to North and South Waziristan Agencies where more destruction has been caused due to terrorism. He said Frontier Regions have been included in this programme and assured that reconstruction and rehabilitation work will soon begin in NA-47.
Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan laid the Fiscal and Debt Policy Statements for the year 2016-17 and First Quarterly Report for the year 2016-17 of the board of directors of the State Bank of Pakistan.
Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada laid the Annual report of the Council of Common Interests for the year 2015-16 before the House.
The periodical reports of the standing committees were also presented in the House.
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