NA passes 'Public Private Partnership Authority Bill 2017'

National Assembly on Wednesday passed 'The Public Private Partnership Authority Bill, 2017' to promote domestic and foreign private investment in infrastructure as well as private sector participation in economic development. The House also approved 'The Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Bill, 2017' to confer additional powers on a commission of inquiry constituted under Pakistan Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1956. Both of these bills have already been passed by the Senate.
The Public Private Partnership Authority is bound to present its annual report within 120 days after the end of each financial year and the authority shall cause a report to be prepared on its activities including public private partnership agreements, progress on projects and utilisation of fund under this act during that financial year before the Parliament.
The Public Private Partnership Bills maintained that notwithstanding anything contained in the Companies Ordinance, 1984 and any other law for the time being enforced, on the date of commencement of this Act, the company shall cease to exist and all assets, rights, powers, authorities and privileges and all property, movable and immovable, cash and bank balance shall stand transferred to and vest in the authority.
The bill also stated that reserve funds, investments and all other interests and rights in, or arising out of, such property and all debts, liabilities and obligations of whatever kind of the company subsisting immediately before the commencement of this Act shall stand transferred to and vest in the authority.
All contracts entered into or rights acquired and all matters and things engaged to be done by, with or for the company before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been incurred, entered into, acquired or engaged to be done by, with or for the authority, as the case may be, said the bill. All suits and other legal proceedings instituted by or against the company before the commencement of this act shall be deemed to be suits and proceedings by or against the authority as the case may be and may proceed and be dealt with accordingly, it said.
The bill also said that all employees of the company shall be deemed to be employees of the authority or not less favourable than the existing terms and conditions of the service, rights and privileges and other matters as were applicable to them before the conversation.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order in the House Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah accused the government of weakening the Federation through ignoring development in Sindh and Balochistan. Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan continue to face electricity load shedding, he said, adding that only an economy which provides meal and livelihood to the people is acceptable to people of the country.
The opposition leader said the government claims that the economy has strengthened, but the people have been starving as the government has also refused to pass on benefits of substantial decrease in petroleum prices to the masses. Talking about the 'Panama gate' issue, he said the people have been waiting for a verdict on the Panama Leaks and it is a challenge for the judiciary to give a solid verdict in this regard.
"The entire country is waiting for a decision in the Panama gate case," he said while pointing out absence of the Prime Minister and his cabinet members from the House. He later walked out in protest against the federal government. Opposition parties, except MQM, also staged two walkouts against the policies of the government and out of order transaction of business of the day respectively.
Reports on 'The Constitution (Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2016' and 'The Constitution (Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2016' were also presented in the House. The twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth constitutional amendments provide right of appeal within 30 days of an order of the Supreme Court under clause (3) of Article 184 (suo moto case) of the Constitution and increase in pensions of families of retired and deceased civil servants and widows of judges of superior courts from 50 per cent to 75 per cent respectively. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers also pointed out quorum and it was found incomplete on both occasions and the proceedings remained suspended for over an hour.