Government mulling to introduce host of legislative bills in Parliament next month

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is planning to introduce a host of legislative bills in Parliament next month, but faces shortage of the required numbers in the Senate as well as in a joint sitting of parliament.
The PTI-led coalition government enjoys a simple majority in National Assembly, but it has only 22 members, including its coalition partners, in the 104-member Upper House of Parliament. Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have 20 and 26 members in the Senate while the strength of independent candidates is 18.
According to the rules, a legislative bill needs to be passed by both the Houses separately with a simple majority and with the current numerical strength the PTI cannot get a bill through from the Senate without support of at least one major opposition party - PPP or PML-N.
If a bill is rejected by any House, the government can then convene a joint session of the Parliament to get a legislative bill passed, but again it will have to prove a simple majority. The government will have to show support of at least 224 members out of 446 members of Parliament to get a bill passed.
The PTI currently has 182 members in the National Assembly along with its coalition partners. In case of a joint session, the PTI will have support of 204 members, but still remains short of at least 20 members to prove its simple majority.
Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem claimed in one of his video messages on November 7 that his Ministry has completed work on at least five legislative bills as part of the government's first 100 day plan.
The minister said that a draft of the whistleblower bill is ready, whereas work has also been completed on women's action plan. The inheritance-related issues faced by people have been reformed and he claimed that the process which previously used to take seven or eight years can now be completed within 15 days.
He said that a legal assistance bill is also under preparation which had been pending for nine years, besides drafting of a comprehensive law for public servants.
As part of the legal package, "legal assistance will be given to people-especially women and children-from backward areas", he said. The Law Ministry has recommended amendments to the Code of Civil Procedures as well.
The PTI government has so far introduced only one amendment in the National Assembly -in Rule 69 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2007 - and made it mandatory for the Prime Minister to respond to questions of members once a month.
This amendment is yet to be passed as the Speaker had referred it to a relevant Standing Committee for further deliberations. Zulfiqar Bhutta, senior advocate Supreme Court, said it is difficult for the political government to legislate in the first three months as it has to manage so many things. In the first three months only plans can be made for the five year tenure, he said adding that a large number of laws require to be amended.