Islamabad: Eight government bills were passed in the Senate session on Thursday; however, differences emerged over giving the opposition a chance to express their views during the legislation and opposition members protested after the bills were approved.
The session approved legislation related to higher education, universities and other institutions, including the National Mercy for All Worlds and the Seal of the Prophets (ﷺ) Authority Amendment Bill. The bills approved included amendments related to the Higher Education Commission, NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan and National Textile University.
The house also passed amendment bills related to life insurance nationalization, archived documents and centers of excellence. These legislative measures have paved the way for amendments in the relevant institutions and legal framework.
During the session, opposition senator Barrister Ali Zafar demanded that members be given a chance to speak. He stressed on giving time to express their views in the House.
Senator Shahadat Awan said that the agenda would be completed first, after which the members would be given an opportunity to speak.
However, after the approval of the bills, the opposition members protested and complained that they were not given an opportunity to present their views during the legislation.
Along with the legislation, the issue of the debate procedure in the House and providing opportunities for members to express their views was also prominent in the Senate session.
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Pakistan, where bills presented by government and private members are considered. After approval by the Senate, the process of a bill becoming a law proceeds according to its nature and constitutional and parliamentary requirements.
The final legal status of the bills passed in Thursday’s session and the details of further parliamentary action on them can be seen from the relevant official records.
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