The ruling coalition had to face embarrassment for the second consecutive day Thursday after it failed to get the Twenty-Second Amendment Bill, 2012 sail through Senate due to lack of numerical strength.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) along with its coalition partners moved from pillar-to-post to muster the required strength in 104-member house to get the bill through Senate with two-third majority. The treasury needed 69 votes to pass the bill with two-third majority but the number game forced them to defer the bill amid thumping of desks from opposition benches.
The jubilant opposition MPs shouted the slogans of 'shame, shame...' after law minister Farooq H Naek smilingly requested Chairman Senate to defer the bill without giving any reason when the house resumed its proceedings after the prayers break. Naek requested the chair to defer the bill, but the opposition MPs stood up to speak on point orders but the chair abruptly read out the prorogation order of 87th session of Senate and walked away. "Oh look they run away," shouted the opposition senators.
The sources privy to the development revealed that the government could not even convince some of its own senators prominently Babar Awan, to come to the house so that the bill could be passed with two-third majority. The bill was opposed by Awami National Party (ANP) earlier but the PPP managed again gained their support after brining Twenty-Third Amendment Bill, 2012 - a condition ANP put forward - restricting a bureaucrat with dual nationality from holding grade 20 and above position.
The Twenty-Third Amendment Bill, 2012 was also supposed to be presented in the house along with dual nationality bill but the required numerical strength sealed its fate. The ruling PPP is the only party after MQM followed by PML-N, which has lost scores of MPs after they turned out to be dual citizens - banned under the constitution to run for elections or holding any public office.
The PML-N is not in a haste to legislate by supporting the new amendment in the constitution but the PPP and the MQM are busy in bringing their disqualified colleagues back to the parliament and provincial assemblies. The ANP was not ready to lend support to its coalition partner on the dual nationality bill instead it put forward some conditions like banning bureaucrats with dual nationality to from holding grade 20 and above posts, which was subsequently accepted.