The National Assembly of Pakistan approved the Anti-Terrorism Act amendment bill on Wednesday tabled by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan while the opposition tore up copies of the agenda.

According to detail, the National Assembly passed “The Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020]” and “The United Nations (Security Council) (Amendment) Bill, 2020” with a majority vote amid sloganeering from the opposition benches. This legislation is related to fulfill certain requirements of the Financial Action Task Force in order to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list.

The legislation is aimed at empowering the federal government to direct authorities in Pakistan to implement various measures, in the Security Council resolutions including the freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban and arms embargo on the entities and individuals, who are designated on the sanctions list of the United Nations.

UN Security Council Resolution 1373 requires member states to implement counter terrorism measures, especially countering the financing of terrorism through their domestic laws. This obligation is implemented in Pakistan through Anti-Pakistan Act, 1997.

Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed said there will be no compromise on accountability and no NRO will be extended to anyone. Taking floor of the National Assembly, he said it is regrettable that the opposition parties want NRO and are doing politics for extending support to an important legislation meant for national interest of the country.

Ruckus was created earlier in the NA as well when Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tried to give clarification following Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif’s allegations.

The foreign minister said nobody will address the house if he is not allowed to speak. The opposition disappears when Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services addresses the NA, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.

Let it be known that Khawaja Asif had lashed out at Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, saying that he has crossed all the limits regarding National Accountability Bureau (NAB) bill.

Speaking in the NA, the PML-N member said the impression was given that opposition parties are trying to create hurdles for NAB law. PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah was illegally booked in drugs case, he went on to say.

Khawaja Asif said history tells that those who make wrong laws, they ultimately fall prey to it. We are only demanding amendments in the laws, he clarified. The PML-N leader further added that the government is setting new example of corruption by giving immunity to its ministers in BRT and Malam Jabba projects.