News

Jan 01 , 2016

Senate opposition invokes Article 89 against PIA’s ‘privatisation’
By Tariq Butt

ISLAMABAD: After a very long time, the Senate invoked article 89 of the Constitution that provides for killing a presidential ordinance on the force of majority, embarrassing the government.

This is the telling consequence of not having majority in the Upper House of Parliament by the government.

It planned to involve a strategic partner to invest to the extent of 26pc in the core business of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was shot down by the opposition-dominate Senate as it passed the resolution, disapproving the December 4 presidential ordinance.

A majority of parliamentary parties ganged up in striking down the temporary law. While it was good news for the agitating PIA employees, opposing the privatisation of the national airliner, the government suffered a serious setback and tasted the lack of control over the Senate.

Article 89 is applied only when political forces, and not the ruling party, are in majority in the Senate. Leading the show was the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which, by collecting several parliamentary parties under one umbrella, avenged the government’s attitude to its Sindh administration on the question of the Rangers’ powers.

Ironically, when the previous PPP government had planned to privatise the PIA, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had strongly opposed it. Now, it is the other way round, reversal of roles. The purpose was to involve the private sector in taming this white elephant, which has devoured some 150 billion rupees from the national kitty so far.

After recent protests from the Senate and PIA employees, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had recently made it clear that the government has no plans to privatise the PIA and is only seeking a strategic partner for it, but his detractors did not believe him.

“Efforts will be made to invite credible and reputed international strategic partners to invest in the PIA to the extent of 26 pc and no lay-offs will be made,” he stated.

Article 89 says a presidential ordinance will have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament and will be subject to like restrictions as the power of the legislature to make law, and will stand repealed at the expiration of 120 days from its promulgation or, if before the expiration of that period a resolution disapproving it is passed by the Assembly, upon the approval of that motion.

The National Assembly may by a resolution extend the ordinance for a further period of 120 days and it will stand repealed at the expiration of the extended period, or if before the expiration of that period a resolution disapproving it is passed by the National Assembly or the Senate, upon the passing of that resolution. Extension for further period may be made only once.

To involve the parties protesting against the PIA ordinance, the government had agreed to set up a bipartisan and bicameral parliamentary committee to decide the fate of the PIA. However, the opposition had sought to start afresh a dialogue to bring radical changes to PIA operations, notwithstanding the ordinance.

An opposition lawmaker had made a freakish remark when he had stated that no legislator was against improvement in the operations of PIA, which has unfortunately only shown losses for many years, but “we are against its privatisation.”

The finance minister had stated that there had been a visible improvement in the PIA operations as a result of the government’s efforts, and pointed out that the number of its operational aircraft has increased from 18 to 38. The average aircraft age has been reduced from 14 years to nine years, with the government aiming to bring it down even further to six years.

The ordinance was aimed at freeing PIA management from government control, enabling it to make decisions independently, Dar said. The PIA was converted from a statutory corporation into a company governed by the Companies Ordinance, 1984.

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk


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