NA rejects two bills, refers 11 bills to Committees

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly rejected two bills and referred eleven private members’ bills to the relevant standing committees after their introduction in the House.

The House witnessed introduction of eleven private members’ bills which were referred to the relevant standing committees. These bills were included the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020; (Article-59); the Islamabad beekeeping and Honey Regulation and Production Bill, 2021; the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Section 278 and Schedule-II); the Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (sections 2, 5 and 12); the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority Bill, 2021; the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the National Poverty Reduction Bill, 2020; the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Two motions seeking permission to introduce as many bills were rejected by the House after voice voting. These bills were the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment in Article-66).

The Chair deferred two bills on the request of movers which were the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment in Article-84) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Sponsored jointly by the PTI and PPP lawmakers, the House passed the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (Amendment) Bill, 2020 after clause by clause reading.

Ten reports of Standing Committees on Interior were presented in the House. These bills were the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019; the Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Court) (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Islamabad Capital Territory Shops, Business and Industrial Establishments (Security) (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2020] (Section-9); the Islamabad Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (section-12) and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Three reports –one each of the Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, Religious Affairs and Law and Justice – were also presented in the House. These reports were on Al-Karam International Institute Bill, 2020; the Protection of Persons against forced Religious Conversion Bill, 2019 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article- 223).

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan moved two separate motions to constitute Special Committee for development of erstwhile FATA and elect Standing Committees on Poverty Alleviation, Social Safety Division and Economic Affairs. Both motions were passed by the House.