The absence of the lawmakers from Senate session on Tuesday forced Chairman Senate to defer most of the agenda items of national importance. The House only took up introduction of two bills including The Indus River System Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2010 and The Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill, 2011 from the heavy agenda of 38 items.
The rest of the agenda items including introduction of nine different bills, passage of Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill 2008, four resolutions, five motions on issues of national importance and discussion on Presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament were deferred mainly due to absence of lawmakers and movers of the motions/items.
Whereas some items of the agenda were deferred for review that would be taken up on next private members' day by the House. A bill seeking leave to introduce The De-weaponisation of Pakistan Bill, 2011 of the MQM was withdrawn by the movers on the suggestions of Minister for Law Dr Babar Awan and Senator Ishaq Dar to submit another bill by removing the legal flaws.
Meanwhile, Senator Ilyas Bilour introduced a bill further to amend the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992 (The Indus River System Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2010 and was referred to the concerned committee of the House. In its statement of objects and reasons, the senator stated that it has been observed that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has in the past, foregone its right to utilize its full quota of water as assigned to it under the water accord of 1991 due to lack of infrastructure.
The unutilized water has been instead used by downstream provinces. Water is among the most precious resources of nature, and hence any province that foregoes its right should be adequately compensated by the province or provinces or federation that makes use of it.
The proposed amendment shall make it compulsory upon the authority to work out a mutually acceptable formula for compensation, in case of use of foregone irrigation water. The formula for compensation may be sufficient and substantial so as to force the federation to develop the infrastructure of the province to save the payment on account of irrigation water.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed introduced a bill to amend the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance, 1981 (The Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill, 2011). The bill seeking welfare of persons with disabilities was also referred to standing committee for law and justice. The objects of the bill are to introduce a practical approach through proposed system at district, tehsil and union council level, for the welfare of the persons with disabilities in every sphere of life.
The bill proposes that a new Section 2-A shall be inserted after Section 2 of the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance XL of 1981, where 14 facilities are to be provided on top priority basis: The government must ensure quota of 2 per cent for persons with disabilities in the federal, provincial and districts departments. In case of any institution or department ignores the quota of 2 per cent for person with disabilities while giving advertisement for employment, then serious action must be taken against them.
Full concession, in admission fee and relief of 75 per cent in tuition fee in government educational institutions and 50 per cent in private educational institutions and other financial assistance required by needy person with disabilities and seats will be reserved in every stage of education, is demanded in the bill. The government shall ensure to provide 50 percent concession to the persons with disabilities in PIA, Railway, public and private transport fares. The government shall give full relief to persons with disabilities on import of vehicles and other items relating to disabilities.
The government shall provide free treatment to the persons with disabilities in federal, provincial, district headquarter, social security hospitals, dispensaries and only 60 per cent charges will be taken in the private hospitals. The federal government shall provide special discount of 30 per cent to the persons with disabilities in utility stores.
Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal and Zakat and Ushr departments will be bound to provide help on monthly basis to persons with disabilities. Furthermore, a sum of Rs 100,000 is proposed to be given on the marriage of children of the persons with disabilities. The Bill demands interest-free loans up to Rs 50,000 to be provided by Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal for setting up small businesses to the persons with disabilities.