Bill to increase Balochistan seats in National, Provincial Assemblies on cards: Sanjrani

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that a bill to increase the number of National and Provincial Assembly seats for Balochistan will be introduced during the coming session of the Senate.

“Consultation is being carried with all the parties in the Parliament in this regard,” Sanjrani said.

He expressed these views while talking to Chairmen of the Committees and the officials of Balochistan Assembly who called on him here at Parliament on Wednesday, a press release said.

The members of delegation meeting the Chairman were attending a capacity building event titled “Essentials of Effective Committee Performance for the Chairs and members of the provincial assembly of Balochistan at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS) organized with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Chairman Senate said in the proposed bill there was a consideration to increase number of national assembly seats to 30 and that of the provincial assembly to 80.

He said there was a need for strong linkages and coordination among the provincial assemblies, national assembly and the senate for promoting democratic and parliamentary traditions in the country.

He said, “The Upper House of the Parliament will continue to play its effective role for this coordination among the federating units.”  The Committee system in the Senate was very proactive and we were trying to share our experience with the provincial assemblies for effective law making at provincial level.

He added that the PIPS would also organize courses for the bureaucracy and secretaries of the provincial assembly and its committees including the members of the provincial assemblies.

He said that the Institute would also arrange special training programme for a joint group of the members of all provincial assemblies in Gwadar with the assistance of UNDP.

“An amendment is also under consideration for making a parliamentary course mandatory for all the officers of the federal and provincial government as well as other public sector organizations to create awareness about the working of the parliament and implementation of the relevant laws.”

Earlier, Additional Secretary Senate Hafeezullah Shaikh briefed the delegation about the working of the Committee system in the Upper House of the Parliament.

The delegation was headed by Syed Ahsan Shah included MPAs Ahmad Nawaz Baloch, Qadir Ali Nayel, Akbar Mengal, Secretary Provincial Assembly of Balochistan Safdar Hussain, Special Secretary Tahir Shah Kakar, Executive Director PIPS Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, UNDP representatives  and officials of the Balochistan Assembly.