Two extended for 120 days: 3 ordinances laid before NA amid opposition's walkout

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government Thursday, amid protest and walkout of the opposition, laid three ordinances before the National Assembly, extended two ordinances for another 120 days and passed one bill.

The opposition strongly opposed the ordinances and staged a walkout from the House in protest. The opposition said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is being run through the ordinances and Parliament has been made redundant.

In the absence of the opposition, the House extended the Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Ordinance, 2019 for a further period of 120 days by passing resolutions separately.

The ordinances which were laid before the Lower House of the Parliament are: (i) the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, (ii) the Enforcement of Women's Property Right (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 and (iii) the Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.

About the legislative business of the agenda, the National Assembly passed "the Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill, 2019" in the absence of opposition.

Chairman Standing Committee on Defense Amjad Ali Khan also presented the report on "the Joint Maritime Information Organization Bill, 2019" in the House.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the session was scheduled on February 10 but it was urgently summoned by the government to lay and extend the ordinances. "I have severe objection on the agenda of the business of the house. We are not sitting here for presenting ordinances.

The government should present the ordinances in the form of bills for proper legislation," he said.

Pervez Ashraf said, "The Parliament has been made redundant and the government is being run through ordinances. Our views were not taken on the ordinances which were extended."

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said that the government has made the Parliament as ordinance factory. He said that the government should adopt proper procedure for legislation. "We are ready for discussion on the legislation if the government presents any draft bill," he said.

Responding to the opposition members, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said, "We had withdrawn ordinances with the consultation of opposition.

We are extending the period of the ordinances as their date is being expired. We seek some time to prepare drafts bills of the ordinances."

Later, the National Assembly was informed that National Institute of Health (NIH) is reviewing all necessary measures for public awareness against coronavirus.

Responding to a call attention notice in the House, Parliamentary Secretary on Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas said emergency has already been declared in major hospitals of the country and special wards have been established to deal with the spread of coronavirus.

The parliamentary secretary confirmed that one Pakistani student in China has been affected by coronavirus while three others are suspects and are in stable condition. She said, "We are in constant touch with the Chinese government and Pakistani students in Wuhan."

Andleeb Abbas said Pakistan Embassy in China has established a 24/7 hotline to facilitate Pakistanis in China.

Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a meeting on Friday (today) to devise a national action plan to deal with locust attacks in the country. He said that meeting may declare emergency on this issue.