Proposed amendment in National Accountability Ordinance 1999: Senate fails to refer matter to parliamentary body

The Senate failed on Monday to refer the matter relating to proposed amendment in National Accountability Ordinance 1999 to the parliamentary committee, as the bill was not withdrawn for presentation of the panel's report on the proposed piece of legislation.
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani asked Law Minister Zahid Hamid that the bill might be withdrawn so that the committee's report could be presented in the House and the matter be referred to the parliamentary committee formed to look into the NAB law.
However, the minister sought time hence the chair deferred the matter. It is pertinent to mention that the committee chairman Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi of PML-N had put his dissenting note on the report.
The House offered Fateha for the martyred military men, after they were attacked by the terrorists in Mohmand Agency.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Omission of Article 182) by PPP's Senator Zaheeruddin Babar was deferred as he did not find enough senators of his party to support his bill for consideration and adoption.
On his request, the chair deferred this bill as well as his another bill 'The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (amendment of Article 209)' on which the committee concerned had furnished its report.
Meanwhile, senators on both sides of the aisle, expressed concern over poor condition of the federal capital with particular reference to lack of beauty and dilapidated condition of roads, particularly the Service Road from Golra Mor to Ripah International University.
Legislators alleged the CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory administration are turning a blind eye to the federal capital and it is virtually being turned into a plastic, paper and garbage city. They went on to say that natural plants and flowers are being replaced with paper and plastic plants and flowers.
They also called for total implementation of the Supreme Court judgement with regards to the federal capital with reference to rapid growth of commercial entities, guest houses and schools.
The senators asserted that Islamabad was not confined only to the Red Zone and that the entire federal capital be properly taken care of and the slums should also be made proper residential areas. Some senators called for taking to task the corrupt elements in the civic departments who have ruined the beauty of the federal capital.
State Minister for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman and State Minister for CADD Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly brushed aside the concerns of the senators and insisted that billions of rupees are being spent on beautification of the federal capital and referred to interchanges, by-passes and the expressways. They said that a policy is being framed on the slums.
They also said that tree plantation is being envisaged as per international standards. Similarly, facilities at the government schools are being provided and four new hospitals are in the pipeline in addition to up-gradation of the PIMS and Polyclinic hospitals.
As many as six bills were introduced in the Senate and these are: 'The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Section 323),' 'The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Sections 273, 274 and 275),' 'The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 101),' 'The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of sections 80 and 82),' 'The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Amendment of Article 37)' and 'The Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2017.'
The chairman Senate referred these bills to the standing committees concerned for consideration and report.