Right of Access to Information Bill: proceedings adjourned due to lack of quorum
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday raised objections on 'The Right of Access to Information Bill, 2017' and staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest for not being allowed by the deputy speaker to speak on the bill during its second reading.
When Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi did not allow Sajid Nawaz of PTI to speak on the bill during the second reading of legislation process, he pointed out quorum immediately after the members of PPP and PTI staged walkout. The deputy speaker had to adjourn the House amid legislation process due to lack of quorum. Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said the bill should be delayed for one day for reading.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid said that Senate has already passed the bill and the Standing Committee of the Lower House has also unanimously approved it. He said the Senate has incorporated two minor amendments in the bill. Dr Shireen Mazari of PTI raised serious objections on clause-7 of the bill. She said that the bill should be discussed again in the House. She said that there should also be access of information to some extent about defense budget and meetings of National Security Council, adding the National Assembly cannot hold a debate on defense budget.
Shazia Marri of PPP also raised objection on clause-222 (d) of the bill and said that only a Rs 50,000 fine has been proposed in case of destruction of record of any public department. Dr Nafisa Shah of PPP said that important record burnt due to fire in Islamabad's six-storey Awami Markaz on Sunday last. She said that an inquiry should be conducted into the incident.
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that it is an important bill. She said this bill also deals with the issue of destruction of record of public institutions. She said that the bill has been prepared after comparing it with the legislations of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
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