The joint session of Parliament quickly concluded on Friday after more than one hour delay amid the opposition’s protest over the recently passed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes law.
A live telecast from the Pakistan Television Network showed lawmakers who presented the bills and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq wearing headphones to avoid noise.
The opposition started protesting after the NA speaker denied Leader of Opposition Omar Ayub’s request to speak on the floor of the House.
The agenda for the session comprised 17 points.
President Asif Ali Zardari called the joint session on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
President Zardari convened the session at the Parliament House in Islamabad while utilising the powers granted under Article 54(1) of the Constitution. The government is expected to present pending bills for legislative consideration. Moreover, bills returned by former president Arif Alvi would be discussed and reviewed in the joint assembly.
Special security arrangements were made for the joint session, said a statement from the National Assembly spokesperson. Access for guests has been restricted to ensure order during the proceedings.
Despite the noise and disruptions, the NA speaker continued the proceedings of the House and initiated the process of government legislation on the agenda.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal presented the Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the Import and Export Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2023, both of which were approved by the House.
Senator Manzoor Kakar introduced the National Excellence Institute Bill 2024, which was also passed. The National Technology Institute Bill 2024 was also approved by a majority vote.
The joint session of Parliament was adjourned until February 12. The meeting lasted 18 minutes, during which four bills were passed by a majority vote in just 9 minutes.
Aaj News has acquired details regarding the bills returned to parliament by the president without approval. A total of 29 bills were sent back, with 21 of them from former president Alvi and eight from his successor Zardari.
Alvi returned 10 government bills, some or all of which are expected to be discussed in the upcoming joint session of Parliament. Such bills had previously been approved by both houses and sent to the president for confirmation, but were returned. The returned bills include both government and private legislation.
Among the bills likely to be considered are the following government proposals:
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Among the private bills that would be discussed in the session are several significant legislative proposals aimed at various sectors. These include:
