ISLAMABAD - Minister for Power Division Awais Leghari, responding to a call attention notice, told the National Assembly on Tuesday that legislation will be made to declare ‘overbilling’ a crime.

“I will share details about wrong billing and other related issues in the next session,” the minister said, adding all matters in power distribution companies need to be addressed. Leghari told the house that all matters, including overbilling, electricity theft etc need to be resolved.

Leghari said the power outages have been reduced and now there is a need to resolve electricity theft related issues, as mere speeches never served real purpose.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed ‘the transplantation of human organs and tissues (amendment bill, 2017)’ aimed at making a provision to donate human organs or tissues in case of accidental death.

The MQM, on a private members day, managed legislation on the matter related to human organs and tissues, despite a clear resistance from the government side. The government was seemingly interested to bring its own but the opposition forced the government to pass the bill.

MQM passed this bill with the support of opposition parties (PPP and PTI) and a PML-N MNA Marvi Memon while Minister of State Dr Darshan was interested to bring a bill from the government side on the same issue.

Opposition parties’ lawmakers strongly raised concerns over not passing the MQM’s bill and instead trying to bring a bill from the government side. They said that the government should not create hurdles in MQM’s bill related to human organs transplantation.

Even Marvi Memon from the treasury benches supported opposition benches, saying the government should respect private members bills. “PPP (in its tenure) with all its weaknesses had given chances to opposition to move its bills,” she said.

The statement of objects and reasons says, ”there are so many accidental deaths while driving motor vehicles. During such death human body is mutilated, injured or damaged in such a form that sanctity of human corpse like natural death is not possible and even routine rituals cannot be performed. However, most of human organs or tissues are still active even after clinical death and such human organs or tissues may be transplanted to persons in need. Such donation may give a new lease of life to person in need of such human organs or tissues. Therefore, there is a need to make a provision to donate human organs or tissues in case of accidental death,” it says.

Report sought on implementation of resolutions

Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah sought a report on implementation of resolutions passed in the National Assembly during current tenure of the government.

PTI’s MNA Shireen Mazari, on a point of order, sought reasons from the foreign minister for offering the United States to conduct joint operation against the ‘Haqqani network’. She also criticised the government for giving visa to Lisa Curtis and engaging her in consultation. “Lisa Curtis has written against the Pakistan nuclear programme why she was given visa,” Mazari asked.

Likewise, Capt (Retd) Muhammad Safdar, on a point of order, asked the government to change title of the Department of Physics which was named after Professor Dr. Abdul Salam.

“I demand ban on Ahmedis’ recruitment in Army,” he said, asking Jamaat Islami’s MNA Tariq Ullah to move a resolution regarding change in the title of the Department of Physics. “I will bring a resolution about ban on Ahmedis’ recruitment in Army,” he said. He was of the view that a similar oath regarding ‘Khatam-e-Nabuwat’ needs to be made essential for the people in the judiciary. “I will keep raising this issue everyday in the parliament,” he said.

To another matter, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab said that FIA has initiated inquiry into the matter related to use of a PIA plane in a film made in Malta. “PIA airbus was rented out for film-making and probe is underway in this connection,” said Minister.

The Chair sought a report from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) within a month before the relevant standing committee.

About the opposition concerns, the minister said Pakistan has always supported the Palestinian cause and this incident has embarrassed us. He said PIA Airbus A 310 was rented out to a British film-making company.

At the end of proceedings, the house also passed a resolution urging the government to take steps to deal with the propaganda against Balochistan wisely and vigorously at international fora.

In another resolution, the government was urged to take immediate steps to establish Baba Guru Nanak Sahib International University at the Nankana Sahib.

MQM passed this bill with the support of opposition parties (PPP and PTI) and a PML-N MNA Marvi Memon while Minister of State Dr Darshan was interested to bring a bill from the government side on the same issue.

Opposition parties’ lawmakers strongly raised concerns over not passing the MQM’s bill and instead trying to bring a bill from the government side. They said that the government should not create hurdles in MQM’s bill related to human organs transplantation.

Even Marvi Memon from the treasury benches supported opposition benches, saying the government should respect private members bills. “PPP (in its tenure) with all its weaknesses had given chances to opposition to move its bills,” she said.

The statement of objects and reasons says, ”there are so many accidental deaths while driving motor vehicles. During such death human body is mutilated, injured or damaged in such a form that sanctity of human corpse like natural death is not possible and even routine rituals cannot be performed. However, most of human organs or tissues are still active even after clinical death and such human organs or tissues may be transplanted to persons in need. Such donation may give a new lease of life to person in need of such human organs or tissues. Therefore, there is a need to make a provision to donate human organs or tissues in case of accidental death,” it says.