Despite clear majority in Senate: Opposition caught napping as govt pushes through bills

ISLAMABAD: Despite its majority in the Senate, the opposition was found napping as the government — which had cleverly devised a plan to push through at least five bills— got the job done in a single day.

Prior to presenting the bills in the upper house of parliament, some of them through a supplementary agenda prepared at the last minute, the ruling coalition ensured that it had enough numbers in attendance to surpass the opposition’s tally. Proper homework was done by the government while the opposition had no clue about the official strategy.

The combined strength of the two factions of the opposition parties, one led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the other by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has a clear numerical edge in the upper house of parliament and can frustrate any government move for lawmaking.

At least four bills passed by the Senate as hurriedly as they had been bulldozed through the National Assembly amid the opposition’s protest, figured among 30 pieces of proposed legislation on which the government and the opposition had agreed to evolve a consensus through discussions. For the purpose, Speaker Asad Qaiser constituted the 20-member Parliamentary Committee on Legislative Business (PCLB), led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, last month after consultations with the representatives of the government and the opposition following the latter’s protest.

The approach adopted by the ruling alliance was to get the bills cleared by the Senate when the opposition members were fewer than those of the treasury. The plan worked and the opposition was left to lick its wounds. The bills were passed according to the Senate rules. Even on the last sitting before the long Eid-ul-Azha holidays, the government ensured a huge presence of its senators. Like the National Assembly, there was no debate on the bills in the Senate either.

Spelling out objectives and reasons for enacting the Mutual Legal Assistance [MLA] (Criminal Matters) (Amendment) Bill, it was stated that increase in transnational organized crime has made it necessary for the international community and Pakistan to improve the effectiveness of legal instruments. Lack of uniformity in the law and a weak coordination mechanism between countries affects the combating of crimes across borders. In order to overcome these challenges, essential legal cover was required. International cooperation in criminal matters through the MLA and extradition is intended to bridge existing gaps in respective countries toward effective enforcement. The requested state will provide mutual support to the requesting country by executing necessary actions on its territory in any specific criminal case warranting shared help.

The Federal Medical Teaching Institutes [FMTIs] Bill was passed to provide autonomy to the FMTIs and its affiliated teaching hospitals; to ensure the services rendered by them; and to improve their performance and quality of medical education. An initiative was taken by the National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Ministry in consultation with the National Health Reforms Task Force constituted by the prime minister to draft the bill.

The bill says the FMTIs will be body corporate; will undertake all functions for rendering health facilities and healthcare services to the people; and will provide medical education, training and research.

There will be a board of governors (BOG) of the FMTIs to administer and manage their affairs. The BOG will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of objectives by the FMTIs. Besides, the National Institute of Health (Re-organization) Bill, Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill and Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill were also cleared by the Senate.