ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed introduction of five bills, including ‘The Holder of Public Exchequer (Accountability), 2015’, which is meant to repeal the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, abolish Anti-Corruption Establishment and enact a new law on accountability.
The bill, moved by a treasury member, Raza Hayat Hiraj, purposed that those committing corruption should be considered to be guilty of high treason, adding the offence should be made punishable by capital punishment as envisaged in Article-6 of the Constitution. The mover of the bill, in another clause, proposed that assets of those guilty of corruption and their dependents, obtained during the tenures of their offices, should be forfeited.
Another clause of the bill says if a person guilty of the offence is not fined, he/she should be charged a mandatory fine and cost such as fees of lawyers.
Taking the floor, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif asked PPP to revive its efforts to reach consensus on a joint accountability bill. “There must be an organisation acceptable to all,” he said, asking for consensus of the government and the opposition on it.
Asif further said National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was used for political purposes, so there should an organisation to eradicate corruption, which must enjoy trust of all the political parties.
Leader of Opposition Khursheed Shah said it was need of the hour to get rid of corruption. “The bill should be referred to the committee for a threadbare discussion on it,” he added.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says, “According to Islam, all those committing corruption in any of its forms will go to the hell.” Later, the bill was referred to the standing committee concerned.
Raza Hayat Hiraj introduced another bill ‘The Constitutional Amendment Bill, (Amendment in Article 63)' which says a member holding dual nationality or a permanent residence status of another country should stand disqualified.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who attended the NA after around two months stayed in the house for nearly an hour, but did not utter a single word on the floor. The presence of treasury lawmakers dramatically turned very thin as soon as the prime minister left the house.
The house disposed of the heavy agenda of nearly 30 items. The remaining three bills introduced in the house were referred to the standing committees concerned. Opposition lawmaker Ayaz Soomro introduced ‘The National Accountability Ordinance (Amendment) Bill, 2015’, which says all appointments of officers of the National Accountability Bureau should be made through the Federal Public Service Commission.
The remaining bills were ‘The Constitution (Amendment) Bill (amendment in Article 184)’ and ‘The Islamabad Compulsory Civic Education bill, 2015’.
The house which remained in session for over three hours adopted a motion, presented by Mahmood Bashir Virk, ‘The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014.’ Virk also presented a report of the standing committee to further amend the ‘The Constitution (Amendment Bill, 2014.’
The house passed a resolution moved by Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers, urging the government to take steps to establish a women university in Swat.
The house also passed a resolution that the government should take steps to control electricity pilferage in the country. The lawmakers asked the government to take steps to minimise power outages in the country.
Earlier, the government side on a call-attention notice said the government would implement the prime minister’s package for families of the government employees dying during service.
Responding to a call-attention notice by Khalida Mansoor and others, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad said the package envisaged 100 percent lifetime pension for widows, besides allotment of a plot, free higher education for all children and regular employment for one child.
The minister, responding to another call-attention notice moved by PPP lawmakers, told the house that about 50 officers were being hired for PIA to improve the working if the national institution.
A treasury member, Omar Ayub Khan, who is also chairman of Standing Committee on Finance, presented a report of the committee on the bill to provide for incorporation and functioning of credit bureaus.
A motion moved by Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, seeking amendments to the Rules and Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, was also referred to the standing committee concerned.