ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly, Monday, passed four bills including “The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024” to fulfil the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with some amendments amid the protest of opposition members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
The House passed four bills; The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The National Highway Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Pakistan Postal Services Management Board (Amendment) bill, 2024.
The opposition members during the legislation raised anti-government slogans and encircled the speaker’s dais, tearing the copies of the bills and throwing them in the air. They raised the slogan: “black law unacceptable”.
The bills were tabled by Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar while MNA Aqeel Ahmad presented some amendment in The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and other bills. The house incorporated the amendments in the bills.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of “The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, recently, under IMF structural benchmark and performance criteria, State-owned Enterprises (Government and Operation) Act, 2023 (SOE Act, 2023) has come into force to improve the governance and operations of State-owned Enterprises including Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).
In order to fulfil the conditions of IMF, there was a need to bring the PBC ACT, 1973 in conformity with the provisions of the SOE Act, 2023. Therefore, any provision in the PBC Act, which is in conflict with any provision of the SOE Act, shall be overridden by the relevant provision of the SOE Act.
As the SOE Act requires that the independent directors/ private members should be greater in number than the ex-officio members in the Board of State-owned Enterprises, the constitution of the PBC Board has been changed by increasing the independent directors/ private members from four to nine, giving them majority over ex-officio members.
Previously, only four independent directors/ private members, representing each province, were included in the Board. By increasing the number of independent directors/ private members, representation has been given to Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir beside four provinces.
The role of the PBC Board has been made decisive in the appointment of director general, PBC. The federal government shall appoint director general on the recommendations of the board.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of “The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” it is proposed that amendments may be made in the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance, 1979 for the smooth running of official business of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Karachi.
“The powers of the Federal Government envisaged in the Act ibid have been included in the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024.”
According to the statement of objects and reasons of “The National Highway Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” the power of the federal government envisaged in the Act ibid has been included in the proposed NHA, Ordinance, 2023.”
This legislation amended may be made in NHA ACT, 1991 for the smooth running of official business of the National Highways Authority (NHA).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024