ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday condemned the bulldozing of legislation by placing it on the supplementary agenda without providing the bill beforehand or issuing any notices.
The Senate Functional Committee on Delegated Legislation which met here with Raza Rabbani in the chair said that “no notices or circulars are issued and the bill is provided while the motion is read in the house by the minister”. Rabbani said that the observation of the courts on legislation is the same and the legislation should not be done this way.
Raza Rabbani continued that he would write a letter to the minister, chairman Senate, and speaker National Assembly to systemize and restore the procedure of passing the bill in the parliament as provided under the 1973 constitution.
Rabbani said that it is mandatory to study the parent act in order to determine whether the rules and regulations are in conformity with the parent act, and no law is in excess or any violation has been drafted.
He said that while providing the rule and regulations parent act and subsequent legislation is required.
The chairman committee also inquired about the notification of the singular national curriculum and apprehended it was unconstitutional.
The committee also required that before circulating the brief it should be more systematic and cut short in packets containing first the parent act followed by subsequent rules and regulations. It also inquired on the update on the recommendations of the committee made to the federal government and discussed the recommendations of annexing the rules and regulations with the bill or within six months of the bill. The committee also deliberated on the lengthy procedure of the private members’ bill.
The ministry said that since the legislation is being done through the Parliament. It is important that the concerned ministry should be proactive, support the bill and promptly respond by taking the bill to the cabinet.
The committee also inquired update of the website and App developed by the Law and Justice Ministry to which the official apprised that the website is operational and upgraded.
The App is on trial and is expected to be functional by one week. The ministry informed that the app will save money of young lawyers and students, and will be accessible to foreign students as well.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023