ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice passed two private member bills on Monday including a bill that seeks to empower chairman Senate and speaker National Assembly to make a final decision in case of a deadlock between the government and the opposition over appointment of chief election commissioner and members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The committee met under the chair of Barrister Javed Abbasi from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).

The committee considered and passed with slight amendments The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020 (Amendment of Article of 213 and 215), introduced by Sirajul Haq from Jamaat-e-Islami and Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum (retd) from PML-N. The bill provides for referring the matter of CEC and members ECP appointment to a committee comprising of chairman Senate and speaker NA in case of deadlock between government and opposition over the issue.

The Committee also passed by majority vote The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020, (Amendment of Article 140) moved by Abbasi, the Committee's Chairman. The bill seeks the appointment of advocate general exclusively for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Moreover, The Enforcement of Women's Property Rights (Amendment) Bill 2020 moved by Sirajul Haq was withdrawn by the mover.

Two bills; The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020 (Amendment of Article 93) also moved by Haq and the Enforcement of Women's Property Rights (Amendment) Bill 2020 moved by Abbasi were deferred till next meeting for Senate panel's further review.

Senators including Sana Jamali, Sirajul Haq, Walid Iqbal, Zeeshan Khanzada, and senior officers of the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Interior and relevant officials attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020