ISLAMABAD - JAVAID-UR-RAHMAN - The National Assembly on Wednesday focusing on legislative business passed two bills including ‘the anti-terrorism (second amendment) bill, 2013, which suggests preventive detention for 90 days in case of reasonable suspicion.
The PPP government in a reconciliatory mood almost incorporated all the amendments proposed by the main opposition party (PML-N) in the controversial bill, which had been pending for the last two years.
The seventh clause ‘preventive detention for inquiry’ of the bill says ‘any person who has been concerned in any offence under the act or against who a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exist of having been so concerned, the government may issue order of his preventive detention for a period of ninety days ,which shall not be challenged by any court, for the purpose of inquiry ‘.
Criticising the speedy legislation at the fag end of assembly’s tenure, Leader of the opposition in the national assembly Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said there were no reasons to bulldoze controversial issues in the last days of assembly. “This bill was pending for last two years but government didn’t go for legislation on it. Why government wants to dispose of this controversial hurriedly,” Nisar added.
While, PPP Chief Whip Khursheed Shah considered the legislation work even in the days of the assembly as good omen. “This assembly has passed 136 bills and even in last days government is accepting all the amendments proposed by opposition,” he replied.
Adding his share, Minister for law and justice Farooq H.Naek said no this bill could not be called as controversial as government was accepting the amendments.
Opposing the different clauses of the bill, PML-N MNA Zahid Hamid proposed amendments regarding preventive detention, confessional statements, power to grant bail and other
Other legislators from MQM S.A Iqbal Qadri and PML-N’s MNA Anousha Rehman , senior MNA Zafar Ali Shah, Attiya Anayat Ullah had also proposed their amendments which were not opposed by treasury benches.
An important clause-4 of the bill suggests ‘ provided that if any or all office bearers, activists of proscribed organization form a new organization under a different name, upon suspicion about their involvement in similar activities the said organization shall be deemed to be a proscribed organization.’
The clause-11 of the bill says,’ during a war or hostilities agains Pakistan by any foreign power or internal aggression or for the defence or security of Pakistan, the federal government shall have preference and priority in telecommunication system over any licensee.
The statement of objects and reasons says that growing menace of terrorism and attacks on armed forces, civil armed forces, law enforcement agencies and government offices and installation have adversely affected the security situation. The extra ordinary circumstances demand more stringent laws to curb the terrorist violence and to punish those found involved with a view to create adequate deterrence’.
Earlier, the government side successfully managed to pass ‘The Shaheed Zulfiq Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, bill, 2013 , which had already been passed in the lower house. Though the bill with some amendment was passed from Senate but the main opposition party (PML-N) found some ‘fundamental legal objection’ in it.
PML-N MNA Zahid Hamid said that they had some fundamental legal objections,which need to be addressed. Upon this, Minister for Capital Administration and Development Nazar Gondal said that there was no harm in the clause, which relate to affiliate university with foreign country in future.
Taking the floor, MQM legislator Waseem Akhtar said they had no more reservation on the name of the university.
A bill to provide for the regulation of trading in futures contracts (The futures trading bill,2013) was also introduced in the House.
PPP MNA Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Nadeem Afzal Gondal presented two reports including review of implementation status of PAC directives on audit reports for the years 1996-97, 1999-2001, 2001-01, 2005-06 and 2008-09.
Another PPP legislator Shahnaz Wazir Ali presented two reports of the committee on foreign and domestic loans to examine and scrutinize the necessity and utilization of foreign and domestic loans since 1985 and report of the committee on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).