The National Assembly passed 'The Cost of Management Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2016' to offer certification in cost accountant for specific sectors of the economy/industry and 'The Costs of Litigation Bill, 2016' to empower courts to impose costs to discourage false and frivolous litigation and unnecessary adjournments.
Both the bills were presented by Law Minister Zahid Hamid in the Lower House of the Parliament for passage and the House passed these bills with majority vote.
According to the objectives and reasons of The Cost of Management Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2016, "The expertise of the members of the institute in cost accountant can be utilised by allowing sector/industry specific specialisation in cost accountant necessitating introduction of enabling provisions under the Act authorising institute to offer certification in cost accountant for specific sectors of the economy/industry."
According to objective and reasons of 'The Costs of Litigation Bill, 2016,' "The tendency of filing false and vexatious cases and taking baseless grounds for defence is unfortunately on the increase. This tendency leads to numerous evils, including heavy expenditure incurred by the affected parties, causing them financial loss and mental torture, apart from wasting precious time of courts. It is, therefore, necessary to empower courts to impose costs to discourage false and frivolous litigation and unnecessary adjournments."
Earlier, Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan tabled 'The State Life Insurance Corporation (Re-Organisation and Conversion) Bill, 2016' in the House for its passage, but the opposition parties, especially Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), raised objection on it.
PTI leader Dr Arif Alv said that the government wants to treat with State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan same as with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) through this bill. He said that the government wants to privatise the institution and this bill is based on mala fide intention, adding the government should withdraw the bill.
PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood said, "We should discuss the Bill if the Senate makes some amendments in it." He added the Bill should be referred to the standing committee for further discussion.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) leader Dr Nafisa Shah said that the government wants to privatise the State Life through this Bill. He said that the Bill should be referred to relevant standing committee of the House.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Abdul Rashid Godil said that the government should not make hurry for passage of the Bill, adding that the Bill should be refereed to the relevant standing committee for reviewing.
While responding to the opposition members, Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan said the Senate has passed the Bill with amendments. He said the bill is not for privatisation of the State Life even the Senate excluded the word 'privatisation' from it. He said the Senate incorporated amendments in the Bill for the protection of employees and the institution must not possess less than 75 per cent shares. He asked the Speaker to referrer the Bill to the Standing Committee on Commerce for further discussion if the opposition members want to do so.
Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbassi referred the Bill to the relevant standing committee for further deliberations.