Senate passes Panama Papers Inquiries Bill 2016

ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament passed Panama papers Inquiries Bill 2016 with majority vote on Thursday.

The bill moved by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and other senators was opposed by 15 votes while 37 senators supported the bill in the house.

The house also got approval for all clauses of the bill.

Earlier, Minister for Law Zahid Hamid, Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafar ul Haq, Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Mushahid Ullah and Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq requested Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani to refer the bill to the select committee for further discussion and amendments.

Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan opposed the demand of the government benches and said the bill has already come from the committee. He said that the bill was the property of Senate and sending it back was unnecessary.

Senator Mohsin Laghari said there was need to have proper discussion on the bill in the Parliamentary committee for better understanding of the public.

Leader of the House Raja Zafar ul Haq said the bill was moved to the Senate with ill intentions. 

The Senate rejected the certain clause-wise amendments proposed by Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq and Senator Nehal Hashmi while passed with majority some amendments of Senator Siraj ul Haq.