Senate has convened an important session on Monday, which is likely to discuss five resolutions including recommendation to the government not to give Most Favoured Nation (MFN) or Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) status to India since all the relevant Pakistani sectors and stakeholders are given a level playing field by the Indian government.
The resolution, moved by Syeda Sughra Imam, states that it can only be achieved through the removal/reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, duties/taxes and other measures that will ensure both market access and protection from unfair competition to Pakistani agricultural and non-agricultural goods and services exports.
Another resolution is related to a proposed law that may be enacted on breeding rights of the Seeds Act, 1976 may be updated in order to ensure evolution of quality-oriented seeds for major crops in the country. Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (Retd) submitted a resolution for discussion on Monday asking the government to take immediate steps to broaden tax net base in the country.
Two other resolutions to be moved are: amendments in Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self Governance) Order, 2009 to further empower the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, and effective steps may be taken to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs).
Other important business which the senate is likely to discuss is the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and the recommendations made by the civil services reforms committee constituted by the Prime Minister particularly those pertaining to promotions in the civil bureaucracy on the pattern of Pak Army. The senate may also discuss the situation arising out of allotment of plots to CDA employees on green belts in Islamabad.