Amid fervent protest by the opposition, the government on Wednesday managed to bulldoze amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, in the joint session of parliament, thereby allowing the use of electronic voting machines and granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. This prompted the opposition to tear copies of the agenda and walk out of the session in protest. Lawmakers also gathered around the treasury benches, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.
In order to avoid a situation where lawmakers from the opposition and government got into a physical altercation, the sergeants-at-arms were seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder to create a barrier between the two sides.
The opposition argued that as per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, the government required a majority of the total membership of the NA and Senate to get a bill passed in a joint session, which amounts to 222 members. However, the government side contended that as per Article 72 of the Constitution, it required a simple majority of the members present during a joint sitting to get a bill passed. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser ruled that the Constitution held precedence over the Rules.
Earlier, the bill on the use of EVMs was deferred at the request of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, but it was later taken up again and put up to a vote.
The government then barrelled ahead with numerous other important bills including:
The Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021
The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021
The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill, 2021
The National College of Arts Institute Bill, 2021
The SBP Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Amendment in Section 4)
The Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Amendment in Section 7)
The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2021
The Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021
The Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Corporate Restructuring Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Financial Institutions (Secured Transactions) (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill, 2021
The University of Islamabad Bill, 2021
The Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Pakistan Academy of Letters (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Maritime Security Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Covid-19 (Prevention of Hoarding) Bill, 2021 Source: dawn.com
The following bills presented through supplementary agenda were also passed:
The Islamabad Food Safety Authority Bill
The Greek, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Practitioners Bill, 2021
The Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Bill
The Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill. .
.Source: dawn.com
