Senate passes NCA, women harassment bills

ISLAMABAD The Upper House of the Parliament on Thursday passed with majority the National Command Authority Bill 2010 and the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill 2010. Jamaat-e-Islami Senators Prof Ibrahim and Prof Khurshid moved amendments in the National Command Authority Bill 2010, which were subsequently rejected. The Bill provides for constitution of a National Command Authority (NCA) to supervise the functions and administration of all the strategic organisations. The Bill provides for the Prime Minister to head the NCA, as against the National Command Authority Ordinance 2007, wherein the President headed the Authority. Other members of the Authority include Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Defence, Minister for Finance, Minister for Interior, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs. The DG Strategic Plans Division will be the Secretary of the Authority. Senators belonging to religious parties opposed certain provisions of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill 2010 but did not move any amendments. The National Assembly has already passed both the Bills. Speaking on the Protection Against Harassment of Women Bill 2010, Senator Prof Ibrahim said that Islam provides for complete segregation of men and women. Senator Semi Siddiqui said that Islam never prohibits women from earning livelihood. Senator Afrasiab Khattak said that the concept of complete segregation of men and women was insulting both from the point of view of our religion and the cause for which Pakistan was achieved. He said over 50 percent segment of the population could not be let sit idle in home. Senator SM Zafar said the law could benefit both men and women. Senator Abdur Raheem Mandokhel said that women helped men in every sphere of life. Senator Khan Muhammad Sherani said that harassing a veiled woman had different nature than harassing an unveiled woman. Senator Hafiz Rasheed said the Parliament should also look into the miserable state of tribal women. Senator Jahangir Badr said the religious parties and activists of women rights had been at tussle since the Independence Day. He said the religious parties had opposed creation of Pakistan and had tried to stop women from taking part in Pakistan Movement. He further said that religious parties of Pakistan even refused to accept Benazir Shaheed as a head of the government or recognise her as a leader despite the fact that rest of the Muslim World did so. During the Question Hour, Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah informed the House that as many as 3.5 million children in the country were associated with child labour. He confessed that Government had so far given no big incentive to curb the menace of child labour. He also said that Government could not punish parents for not sending their children to schools because it had not yet provided the requisite facilities of education in all parts of the country. He informed the House that Government intended to enhance the budget allocations for education up to 3 percent of the GDP by the year 2011. Senators Muhammad Ismail Buledi, Kalsoom Perveen and Gulshan Saeed contradicted Governments claims that Gwader Port was fully operational. Senator Gulshan Saeed said that the Port could not be made functional unless the required rail and road networks are developed.