National Assembly Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Right which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of MNA, Rai Mansab Ali Khan has approved the draft of 'President to hold another Office Bill-2004'.
The bill was referred to the standing committee by the National Assembly for consideration.
Opening discussion on the proposed legislation, Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Wasi Zafar informed the committee that primary objective of introducing the proposed bill was to safeguard the national interest in prevailing national and international situation and to provide continuity to ongoing economic policies and reforms of public good. It would be therefore imperative that President of Pakistan in addition to his holding the office of President holds another office in the service of Pakistan, he added.
Minister of State for Law and Justice, Ch. Shahid Akram Bhinder proposed certain amendments in Section "2" of proposed bill which were adopted.
After intense discussion, the committee passed the proposed bill along with amendments proposed by Chaudhry Shahid Akram Bhinder, however MNAs belonging to the opposition including Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Muhammad Usman Advocate and Miss Mehreen Anwar Raja opposed the bill and recorded their note of dissent. The bill now will be presented to the National Assembly for passage. The meeting was attended by Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, Wasi Zafar, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sher Afgan Niazi, Minister of State for Law and Justice, Ch. Shahid Akram Bhinder, MNAs Zhaid Hamid, Mst. Saima Akthar, Ali Asjad, Umar Ahmad Ghuman, Haroon Qaiser, Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan, Muhammad Usman Advocate, Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Miss Mehreen Anwar Raja, and Ms. Kashmala Tariq.