NA body discusses Prohibition of Corporal Punishment, OGRA (Amendment) Bills

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat Tuesday held a thorough discussion on the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bills and deferred them for next meeting to decide their fate.

The two bills have already been passed by the Senate and moved in the National Assembly by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho.

The committee meeting chaired by Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, was attended among others by Rana Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Asad Umar, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Moulvi Agha Muhammad, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, Sardar Mansab Ali Dogar, Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Ms. Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, Farhana Qamar, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Shehnaz Saleem, Nighat Parveen Mir, Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto and mover of the Bills Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, besides senior officials of the concerned ministries and departments.

The Committee examined "The Prohibition of Corporal Punishment, Bill, 2017". The Committee appreciated the efforts of the mover for fetching attention of the government functionaries towards very important and sensitive issue. The Committee however, directed that Capital Administration & Development Division (CA&DD) may hold a meeting with mover of the Bill and Law Division to build a consensus to avoid replication of the existing legislation.

The Committee therefore, deferred the Bill till its next meeting for further discussion.

The Committee also examined "The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which was also passed by the Senate Secretariat. The mover of the Bill proposed that equal representation might be given to all provinces in Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) like National Electric Power Regularity Authority (NEPRA).

The Chairperson, OGRA strongly opposed the proposed legislation with the view point that it was a policy decision and might be addressed in the Council of Common Interest (CCI).

Shiekh Aftab Ahmed, Minister Incharge for Cabinet Secretariat agreed in principal with view point of the Chairperson, OGRA and suggested that the said Bill might be deferred for further discussion. The Committee therefore, deferred the Bill till its next meeting.