Senate passes 'The Panama papers Inquiries Bill, 2016'

ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the parliament on Thursday passed with majority "The Panama papers Inquiries Bill, 2016".

The bill moved by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and other senators was opposed by 15 senators, while 37 senators supported the bill in the senate. The House also got approval of all clauses of the bill.

Earlier, Minister for Law Zahid Hamid, Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Mushahid Ullah and Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq requested the chairman senate to refer this bill to the select committee for further discussion and amendments.

Leader of the Opposition, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan opposed the demand of the government benches and said the bill was already come from the committee and now it was the property of the House and putting back this bill was unnecessary.

Senator Mohsin Laghari through a motion said there was a need to have proper discussion on the bill in the parliamentary committee for sensitization and understanding of the public.

Leader of the House, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said the bill was moved to the senate with bad intentions and due to lack of faith. He said the bill should be moved to the select committee.

The House rejected the certain clause-wise amendments proposed by Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq and Senator Nehal Hashmi while passed with majority some amendments of Senator Siraj-ul-Haq besides carrying Aitzaz Ahsan's amendment to Siraj-ul-Haq's amendment on a clause. The House made these amendments part of the bill.