News
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Government faces embarrassment in Senate
* Senate defers Wild Fuana and Flora Bill 2010 owing to devolution of Environment Ministry
* Non-provision of development funds leads to senators’ walkout from House
By Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: The government faced embarrassment in the Upper House of parliament on Friday when members of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies resisted its move to get passed the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fuana and Flora Bill 2010 which, they said, was a devolved subject under the 18th Amendment.
The treasury side was also humiliated when its allies staged a walkout along with the opposition parties against the non-release of development funds to senators which was earlier pledged by the prime minister.
The Senate session chaired by acting Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali witnessed an exchange of heated arguments between Leader of the House Nayyer Hussain Bokhari and senator from the treasury benches and Implementation Commission Chairman Raza Rabbani when the former introduced the bill in the House.
Objecting to the bill, Rabbani said the government could not legislate on those subjects which had been devolved to the provinces. According to him, the bill had come from the Environment Ministry, the subject which, he said, had been devolved to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Bokhari contended that the bill pertained to international trade that came under the purview of the federal government. He claimed the Environment Ministry was in the phase of devolution, and asserted that nothing had been suggested by the commission about the international conventions and agreements associated with the devolved ministries which, he said, should be looked into. Rabbani, however, said that the devolution had been completed the very day when the president had given his assent to it.
When Bokhari pointed out that the bill had been passed by the National Assembly, Rabbani said the lower house of parliament was not competent to do legislation on “this subject”.
Rabbani was supported by former law minister Babar Awan when he said that the devolution had come into existence when the president had given his assent to the 18th Amendment.
“Let the commission work out what is the real case and this should not be made a matter of ego,” said Awan referring to the exchange of arguments between his party colleagues.
Upon the insistence of senators Ishaq Dar, Haji Adeel, Humayun Khan Mandokhel and Seemi Siddiqui, the chair deferred the bill.
Senators across the party lines also expressed concern over the delay in release of development funds committed by the prime minister.
The members were of the view that the typical attitude of bureaucracy was a hurdle in release of development funds. They said that discrimination was being done against senators as funds were not being regularly released to them.
Later, the members staged a walkout with only Nayyer Bokhari, Babar Awan and Israr Zehri left in the House. This subsequently led to adjournment of the House proceedings. The House would meet again on Monday.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk