30 reports laid in Senate, four bills referred to committees

ISLAMABAD, Jan 01 (APP):The Senate on Wednesday witnessed presentation of 30 reports while four government bills were referred to the relevant committees after their introduction in the House.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Khan Swati moved the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Bill, 2019 which was referred to the relevant committee for further deliberations.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Economic Affairs Division Hammad Azhar moved the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Both bills were referred to the relevant committee for further consideration and the Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani asked the committee to report on these legislative proposals within two days.

The House also considered the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority Bill, 2019 as the supplementary agenda and referred it to the relevant committee for consideration.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Khan Swati also moved a motion of thanks to express gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to both the Houses assembled together on September 12, 2019.

Earlier, he also laid on the Table of the House an authenticated copy of the Address of the President of Pakistan made under Article 56 (3) of the Constitution.

On behalf of Chairperson, Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, a member of the committee Senator Dilawar Khan presented report of the Committee on Privilege Motion moved by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi on April 26, 2019.

This motion was against the Inspector General of Police Islamabad and all the concerned involved in the incident of “Lathi Charge” upon Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi who went to observe the court proceedings with respect to the cases of Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman, Pakistan People’s Party.

Chairman Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar presented report of the Functional Committee on its visits/meetings to the Districts Badin, Tharparkar and Karachi from January 8 to January 11, 2019. He also presented report on its visits/meetings to the Districts Rajanpur, Muzaffar Garh, Layyah, Lodhran and Lahore from February 12 to February 15, 2019.

Convener Senate Implementation Committee, Senator Dilawar Khan presented report on a point of public importance raised by Senator Aurangzeb Khan on April 26, 2019, regarding problems faced by pensioners of Levies Personnel, who performed duties in Kurram & Orakzai districts in erstwhile FATA.

He also presented report on a point of public importance raised by Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi on May 9, 2019 regarding problems faced by Pakistani expatriates due to biometric system in the banks.

On behalf of Chairperson Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, a member of the Committee Gayan Chand presented report on the subject matter of starred question No.

15, asked by Senator Chaudhary Tanvir Khan on August 28, 2018 regarding core responsibilities and jurisdiction of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA).

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Defence, a member of the committee Senator Mushtaq Ahmed presented report on a point of public importance, raised by Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar on September 3, 2018 regarding gunfire by security forces on the peaceful protest in Waziristan.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, a member of the committee Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi presented report of the Standing Committee on the subject matter of a Calling Attention Notice moved by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on April 26, 2019 regarding re-allocation of Rs. 24 billion out of Rs. 27 billion under the head of Special Initiative of CPEC towards other programmes.

Chairperson Standing Committee on Climate Change Senator Sitara Ayaz presented report of the Standing Committee on the subject matter of starred question asked by Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood on 2nd May, 2019, regarding minimum ratio of land under forest cover out of the total land of a country required to save the climate and have a better environment indicating also the present position of Pakistan.

She also presented report of the Standing Committee on a point of public importance, raised by Senator Muhammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo on May 2, 2019, regarding control of emitting smokes from industries and vehicles.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Water Resources, a member of the committee Senator Kenneth Williams presented on a starred question regarding payment of royalty on account of electricity generation to the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under AGN Kazi formula and on a point of public importance regarding compensation to the affectees of Mirani Dam.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, a member of the committee Senator Dilawar Khan presented report on two bills including the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2018.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions, a member of the committee Senator Fida Muhammad presented report on a starred question regarding FATA Reforms, 2016 which had recommended for establishment of a land settlement unit for carrying out land settlement in FATA after the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Chairman Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile Industry Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi presented report on the Trade Organizations Bill, 2019.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, a member of the committee Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar presented report on a Calling Attention Notice regarding formation and functioning of a separate Secretariat of the Council of Common Interest.

On behalf of Chairperson Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National History and Literary Heritage, a member of the committee Senator Prof.

Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani presented reports on two point of public importance regarding regularization of NCHD teachers and HEC scholarship given to a scholar killed in the Christchurch incident. She also presented reports on two starred questions regarding male and female students who completed their Ph.D degrees from local and foreign universities during the last ten years and the number of Government, Semi-Government and Private Engineering Universities in the country with province wise breakup.

On behalf of Chairman Standing Committee on Law and Justice, a member of the committee Senator Sitara Ayaz presented reports on the Limitation Relating to Civil Revisions Bill, 2018, the Islamabad Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2017 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2018 (Amendment of Fourth Schedule).

Chairman, Standing Committee on Housing and Works Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi presented report on the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Bill, 2019.

Chairperson Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Senator Khushbakht Shujat presented reports on Adjournment Motion regarding fake clinics and dispensaries operating in the rural areas increasing fatality rate in the country.

She also presented report on a starred question regarding the fact that the Government has formulated a plan to upgrade 30 hospitals to treat the multi-drug resistant TB cases.

Minister for Economic Affairs Division laid the appropriation accounts for the financial year 2017-18 and regularity / special / study performance audit reports of the Auditor General for the audit year 2018-19; the Annual Report of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan for the Financial Year 2016-17 and the Annual Report on the state of the Economy which includes the review of fourth quarter on the State of the Economy for the year 2018-19.