ISLAMABAD: Differences have surfaced between Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq due to which several bills could not be passed.
Sources told Daily Times
that the Senate and National Assembly secretariats are not ready to accept each other’s powers. Due to this a parliamentary committee on national security could not be formed as both secretariats wanted control. Similarly senators could not be included
in the Public Accounts Committee even the NA passed a motion and amended rules, but the Senate chairman ha
s not yet sent the names.
On Sunday, the NA spokesman said the bills originating
in the Senate and tr
ansmitted to the NA were processed
in the NA Secretariat in accordance with the provisions of Article 70 of the constitution read with rules 144, 145 and 146 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business
in the National Assembly, 2007.
He referred to Article 70 of the constitution which provides
that a bill with respect to any matter
in the federal legislative list may originate in either House and shall, if it is passed by the House in which it originated, be tr
ansmitted to the other House and if it is rejected or i
s not passed within ninety days of its laying (and not within 90-days of transmission)
in the House, at the request of the House in which it originated, it shall be considered
in the joint sitting.
In pursuance of rule 144, the NA secretary has circulated every bill among the lawmakers tr
ansmitted by the Senate. He highlighted
that under rule 145, at any time after the bill has been so circulated, any minister
in the case of a government bill or, in any other case, any
member may give notice of his intention to move
that the bill be taken into consideration.
He added
that under rule 146, on the day on which the motion for consideration is put down
in the orders of the day, the minister or, as the case may be, the
member giving notice may move
that the bill be taken into consideration. He reiterated
that unless any
member or a minister gives notice of his intention to move such motion, no further proceedings can be conducted
in this regard.
He also said
that until date 17 government bills, tr
ansmitted by the Senate to the NA were duly processed by the Secretariat, considered/passed by the NA and enacted. He said
that five private
member bills referred to the joint sitting were passed as well. However, 19 private
member bills tr
ansmitted by the Senate were circulated among the
members and are still awaiting notices for consideration to be given by a lawmaker under rule 145 of the rules of procedure. Unless any
member gives notice of the same it cannot be processed/considered by the NA.
He emphasised
that the Unattended Orphans (Rehabilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2016 on its receipt from the Senate was promptly processed
in the NA as it was duly circulated among the
members, laid before the assembly, referred to the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat for its consideration and report to the assembly was done accordingly and was also placed on the orders of the day. Therefore the bill was duly and effectively processed as per rules.