ISLAMABAD The National Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed 'The Competition Bill, 2009 to ensure free competition in all spheres of commercial and economic activity which could enhance economic efficiency and protect consumers from anti-competitive behaviour. Earlier, Minister of State for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning and Development presented the bill in the Lower House for consideration but PML-N MNA Zahid Hamid opposed it due to some grammatical mistakes in its writing. However, after the assurance of Mian Raza Rabbani, MNA Zahid Hamid withdrew his amendment and the bill was unanimously passed. Later on the points of order, the legislators informed the Lower House that despite Prime Ministers order to exempt flood affectees of electricity bills, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was not only issuing the bills but was also disconnecting the power supply on default charges. They urged the Government to take notice of the matter besides their demand to write off the loans of up to Rs 5 lakh taken by poor flood victims. They also demanded that the bigger loans of poor victims should be deferred for further 5 years. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi also seconded the legislator and asked the concerned ministry to take action against those issuing bills to the flood victims and inform the House. The legislators also expressed concerns over the distribution of Watan Cards and alleged that Patwaris were taking Rs 500 as bribe from the flood victims to register them for Watan Cards. MNAs from opposition however demanded of the Government to make public the total international and national funds collected for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims and their usage through a website. They urged the Government to immediately send a mobile Gynae hospital to Southern Punjab. MNAs further demanded of the Government to announce Chitral as calamity-hit area. They also asked for measures to curb kidnapping incidents in Sindh. Those who spoke in the session included Jamshed Dasti, Sheerin Arshad Khan, Marvi Memon, Prince Mohiyuddin and Abdul Wahid Soomro. Meanwhile, responding to a calling attention notice regarding thrashing of an Islamabad-based journalist recently, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the House that a joint investigation team had been constituted to probe into the incident while Judicial inquiry was also in process. He assured the House that the report would be presented in the House as it was completed. However, Interior Minister expelled the impression that agencies were involved in the kidnapping and thrashing incident of the journalist. MNA Barjees Tahir, Baligh-ur-Rehman, Raja Asad Khan and others had moved this calling attention notice. To another calling attention notice regarding increase in the prices of essential commodities at utility stores, Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani informed the House that the prices were the same as they were being charged before the holy month of Ramazan. He, however, said that a relief package of Rs 3 billion had been given on food items available on utility stores for Ramazan, which had now been withdrawn. To a question with regard to sale of substandard items at utility stores, he said that vigilance teams had been working to stop such practices and urged the parliamentarians to inform ministry if they found someone selling such substandard items. MNA Shireen Arshad Khan, Riaz Malik, Nisar Tanveer, Nighat Parveen and Nuzhat Sadiq were the movers of this calling attention notice.