Share this story!            

Opposition forces treasury to defer bill

* PML-N, PML-Q say draft legislation in present form impinges on provincial autonomy

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday deferred the Public Defender and Legal Aid Office Bill 2009 for next week.

The decision was taken in view of the reservations expressed by the opposition parties.

They say that in its present form, the draft legislation impinged on provincial autonomy. The bill, moved by Minister of State for Law and Justice Afzal Sandhu, generated controversy as both the main opposition parties – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid – had joined hands in opposing it. However, both sides agreed after consultations to defer it, to incorporate the opposition’s amendments. Opposition members including Zahid Hamid, Anusha Rehman, Chaudhry Naseer Bhutta and Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada raised the objection that the subject of appointment of public defenders was among the items of the concurrent list, which the federation should hand over to the provinces. Moreover, they said the input of all stakeholders, including the bar councils, should also be considered. To avoid further controversy, a team of ministers negotiated with the opposition members and requested National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza to defer the proposed legislation until next Wednesday. On a point of order raised by PML-N’s Memoona Hashmi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan said the government was making all-out efforts for the repatriation of neuroscientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US.

Home | National

Share this story!