News
Saturday, October 09, 2010
PML-N boycott halts National Assembly’s legislative business
* Speaker defers three bills owing to party’s absence after walkout on Thursday
* Khursheed Shah tells House government making efforts to bring PML-N back
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continued its boycott of the National Assembly on Friday leading to a halt in legislative business.
Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza deferred three bills due to the absence of PML-N’s members who had staged a walkout on Thursday in protest against the passage of Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Bill. The proposed law would benefit 9,000 families by reinstating employees sacked by the PML-N-led government between 1993 and 1996.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan had urged the speaker to defer the legislation to next session, saying that the government wanted to take the opposition on board over important legislation. The bills, which included the National Vocational and Technical Education Commission Bill, 2008, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2008 and the State Bank of Pakistan, will now be taken up in the next session.
Leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had raised objections during Thursday’s proceedings on passage of the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Bill. The bill was passed on Wednesday when members of all the parties were present in the House. No objection was raised against it nor did the opposition propose any amendment.
Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah informed the House that efforts were being made to bring PML-N back. “We are trying. I am in touch with them. I talked to Khawaja Asif,” he said when the speaker asked the government to find a way to bring the party back to the House. “We have asked them to sit with us and resolve the issue. After all, in a democratic system, we have to sit and discuss,” Shah said.
The speaker had asked the minister to speed up efforts to bring PML-N members back to the House. “Opposition is the beauty of democracy. They should be present here,” she said and asked the minister to give an update on efforts made since the PML-N boycotted the proceedings.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk