2021-11-17 19:11:27
According to Radio Pakistan, the following bills have been passed by the government in the joint sitting of parliament:
- The Elections Second Amendment Bill, 2021
- International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Bill, 2021
- The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill, 2021
- The SBP Banking Services Corporation Amendment Bill
- The National College of Arts Institute Bill
- The Muslim Family Laws Amendment (Amendments in Section 4 & 7) Bill
- The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2021
- Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill
- Islamabad Rent Restriction Amendment Bill
- The Criminal Law Amendment Bill
- The Corporate Restructuring Companies Amendment Bill
- The Financial Institutions Secured Transactions Amendment bill
- The Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill
- The University of Islamabad Bill
- The Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes Amendment Bill
- The Companies Amendment Bill
- The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Amendment Bill
- Pakistan Academy of Letters Amendment Bill
- The Port Qasim Authority Amendment Bill
- Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Amendment Bill
- Gwadar Port Authority Amendment Bill
- The Maritime Security Agency Amendment Bill
- The Emigration Amendment Bill
- The Privatization Commission Amendment Bill
2021-11-17 18:50:13
According to Geo News correspondent Asif Bashir Chaudhry, nearly 29 bills have been passed in the joint sitting of parliament.
2021-11-17 18:04:40
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser is back to lead the session and parliamentary proceedings are underway with an address by Prime Minister Imran Khan expected shortly.
2021-11-17 17:30:34
- The Anti Rape (lnvestigation and Trial) Bill, 2021
- The Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021
2021-11-17 17:20:13
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser will no longer be chairing the proceedings after the passage of important legislation.
In his stead, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani will lead parliamentary proceedings.
2021-11-17 17:15:36
The following bills have been passed by the government in the joint sitting of parliament so far:
- The State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
- The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021
- The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021
- The Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021
2021-11-17 16:57:07
Shahbaz Sharif, speaking to media outside Parliament, says legislation was bulldozed today and the National Assembly speaker had "trampled" Parliamentary traditions.
"Legislation cannot take place in such an atmosphere [...] the Opposition's votes counted were far fewer than their actual numbers," the PML-N president said.
Shahbaz said the Opposition told the speaker that the government's votes were not enough to get the bills passed, but Qaiser "did not listen to us".
"We believe three or four additional votes were counted in favour of the government," he said.
2021-11-17 16:23:40
The Opposition have staged a walk out from the joint session of parliament as amendments to the Election Act, 2017, were bulldozed.
There was a hue and cry and a scuffle broke out. Treasury members banged their desks triumphantly as the results of the voting were announced.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan presented The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, thereby permitting the use of electronic voting machines for polls and granting overseas Pakistanis the right to vote.
2021-11-17 15:47:17
The lawmakers from the opposition benches protested after NA Speaker Asad Qaiser allowed the government to proceed with the legislative process.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman slammed the Speaker for bulldozing the process, saying today is the black day in the Parliament's history.
2021-11-17 15:45:49
The government's motion to table the electoral reforms bill passed with 221 votes in favour while 203 lawmakers voted against it.
PM’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs tabled the motion to amend electoral laws.
After the voting, the Opposition challenged the counting and demanded recounting.
2021-11-17 15:18:57
Opposing the use of EVMs in the next elections, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl leader Maulana Asad Mahmood said the bill will create chaos and anarchy in the country.
He said that the government wanted to introduce EVMs in Pakistan at a time when Germany and several other countries have abandoned the technology. Maulana Asad said that the country could not afford such controversial legislation.
He asked why the government was in a hurry to get the controversial bill passed from the Assembly before Nonmember 19.
2021-11-17 13:59:00
In his response to Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that EVM were not actually evil and vicious and that they were being introduced to bury "evil and vicious designs".
He called the day "historic", saying that Parliament will pass laws to make the electoral process "clean and transparent".
"Shehbaz said that the government wanted to introduce a black law. Absolutely not, the government wants to wash away the blackness of the past," FM Qureshi said.
The minister added that the government did not want to bulldoze legislation, and said that they had consulted opposition members so that their reservations could be incorporated into the bills. "You didn't pay attention."
2021-11-17 14:08:54
Addressing Speaker Asad Qaiser, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto started his speech by requesting him to "respect his own chair", "respect his own position" and "respect the House".
He reminded the speaker that he is the custodian of the National Assembly of Pakistan and had agreed in writing with the Opposition that whatever legislation is brought in will be done with consensus.
He said that a united Opposition was standing before the House today.
"If we were all legislating together, the next election would have been transparent," Bilawal said.
Speaking about the EVM, he said even the Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected it, adding that ECP had raised 37 serious objections over the machine.
He said the government is making the next election controversial and gave and ultimatum that they will not accept the next election if the bill for EVMs is passed.
Bilawal said they will stand by the ECP. "As long as the ECP has reservations, we have reservations," Bilawal said.
Bilawal concluded his brief speech with a repetition of his request to the speaker to "please, respect your chair and position".
2021-11-17 13:51:08
PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the House, called electronic voting machines "evil and vicious machines".
He said that a joint meeting was announced at 10pm, but that meeting was postponed.
"I have received your letter. We have carefully considered your letter and given you the full answer. I commend the opposition members for not coming under government pressure," he told the Speaker.
Shehbaz had earlier today written a letter to the NA speaker expressing his grievances over the hurry in passing the bills without a consensus.
Shehbaz said that the government and its allies want to bulldoze the bills and said the government was not being sincere in a creating consensus on electoral reforms.
2021-11-17 13:36:50
As soon as National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser handed over the microphone to Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Babar Awan, the Opposition started making noise, after which the Speaker allowed the Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif to speak.
Awan requested the speaker to postpone the bill for electronic voting machines. saying the Opposition wanted to talk to him [the Speaker] over this bill, so it should be delayed.
The speaker deferred the bill for electronic voting machines.
Awan said that the Opposition has objections on Agenda No 2 of the Election Amendment Bill 2021. "The bill has been discussed with you and also in the Senate. The bill should be postponed for further discussion," Awan said.
Other members of the House, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are present for the joint sitting of Parliament.
2021-11-17 13:24:06
2021-11-17 12:45:59
The joint session of Parliament has started with an agenda to take up more than two dozen crucial bills, including the electoral reforms bill and the bill for the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote.
It is being chaired by Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Both the government and joint Opposition are ready to flex their muscles in today’s joint session of Parliament.
The joint session had been summoned by President Arif Alvi and was initially expected to start at 12pm.
The government eyes passing more than two dozen bills with the help of its allied parties, while the opposition parties have vowed to foil the treasury’s attempt to get the "black laws" passed at all costs.
The bills to be taken up for passage were referred to the joint sitting by the National Assembly after they were not okayed within the stipulated 90 days.
2021-11-17 11:00:00
Taking to Twitter, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry expressed hope that the government would keep another one of its election promises once the joint sitting was done and it passes the the law to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.
He called the laws on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis a "milestone in strengthening democracy in Pakistan".
2021-11-17 11:59:00
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says the government has "complete trust" in its allies.
"We trust them because the people of their constituencies have given them the mandate," he said.
He said that the government wanted fair and transparent polls which would strengthen democracy in the country.
2021-11-17 11:51:00
ISLAMABAD: Ahead of today’s crucial joint session of Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that every player tries to do better than their opponent.
Talking to journalists at Parliament House, PM Imran said that when a player walks on the ground, he is ready for everything.
Referring to the prime minister’s marathon huddles before the joint session, when a journalist asked a question about the reason behind the meetings and whether he was worried, PM Imran replied, "Who is holding meetings?”
2021-11-17 11:31:00
Members of the National Assembly have started arriving for the joint sitting of Parliament.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have reached Parliament House, while other members are also arriving.
On arrival at Parliament House, journalists asked Shehbaz Sharif whether he would give a tough time to the government or defeat it. Shehbaz responded that the Opposition said has its numbers figured out and that whatever Allah will will happen. "The opposition will give its answer in the joint meeting," he said.
2021-11-17 10:38:00
The PTI-led government needs a simple majority in the joint sitting of houses currently having a total strength of 440 members (341 MNAs and 99 Senators) to get the bills passed.
As per data, the government currently enjoys the support of a minimum of 221 parliamentarians, including 179 MNAs and 42 senators.
The treasury benches enjoy an edge of at least two votes over the opposition parties jointly. The opposition parties are supported by 219 parliamentarians, including 162 MNAs and 57 senators.
There are four independent MNAs including Mohsin Dawar, Ali Wazir, and Ali Nawaz Shah, who support the opposition while Aslam Bhotani sits on treasury benches.
The MQM-P having seven MNAs and one senator on Tuesday announced to support the government in the passage of all the bills at the joint sitting after its reservations were addressed by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the cabinet members at different sittings.
Meanwhile, in this crucial situation, despite the government’s claims, the PML-Q was yet to officially announce its support to the controversial legislation. Only a day before, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi chaired a meeting of the PML-Q during which the party leaders expressed concerns over inflation, increasing prices of petroleum products and tariffs of electricity and gas.
“We cannot face our voters in this situation,” they said. The PMLQ in the Parliament is represented by five members of the National Assembly and one Senator.
2021-11-17 10:13:00
Both the government and joint Opposition are ready to flex their muscles in today’s joint session of Parliament convened as the ruling party appears confident over the passage of all its bills after getting the support of its allies.
The joint session has been summoned by President Arif Alvi today at 12pm.
The government eyes passing more than two dozen bills with the help of its allied parties, while the opposition parties have vowed to foil the treasury’s attempt to get the "black laws" passed at all costs.
The bills to be taken up for passage were referred to the joint sitting by the National Assembly after they were not okayed within the stipulated 90 days.