NAVEED BUTT & AAMIR SAEED

ISLAMABAD: The bill regarding delimitation of constituencies and reallocation of National Assembly seats on the basis of provisional census results was deferred on Thursday, following opposition from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Shortly after Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid moved a motion in the National Assembly for passage of ‘The Constitution (amendment) Bill, 2017,’ the PPP and MQM strongly opposed it by expressing their reservations on the census results.

Earlier, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had convened a meeting of all parliamentary party leaders to develop a consensus on the bill and all parties including PPP and MQM-P had agreed to support it. Speaking on the floor of the House, PPP member Naveed Qamar termed presentation of the bill in its current form as “unconstitutional” act of the government and urged it to first refer this bill to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for its approval. He said the government seems to be in haste to get this bill passed from the House.

MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar also expressed reservations over results of the census, saying the provisional results of the census have shown around 10.25 million less population of Karachi that will automatically affect the delimitation process.

He said that his party has already filed a petition in the Supreme Court and is also doing public mobilization on the issue, besides submitting thousands of complaints regarding results of the census with the relevant authorities.

“If we support the bill, it means that we have accepted provisional result of the census,” he said, adding that the Constitution is being “tailor-made” in a bid to hold next general election in time.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Dr Shireen Mazari said that her party supports the bill in principle but the government should address “genuine reservations” expressed by the opposition parties. She said that the bill should not be passed in haste because it could also be challenged in Supreme Court which could result in further delay in holding of general election that are scheduled to be held in August next year.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said that all parliamentary parties were supporting the bill in a meeting held under the speaker, but it is beyond his comprehension as to why these parties are opposing it.

Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Sahibzada Tariqullah said that his party supports the bill as they want the general election to be held in time. He said that no such tactic should be used in the Parliament that could delay the next general election.

Responding to all these points, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said that the bill was discussed in two meetings held under the speaker, but no party leader expressed any reservation on it. He said that no party leader during the meeting also pointed out that the bill should first be sent to the CCI for discussion and approval.

Later, Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi deferred the bill after passage of the motion regarding it.

Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal introduced “Loans for Agriculture, Commercial and Industrial Purposes (amendment) Bill 2017” in the house.

The bill says that in order to avoid any legal implications as well as safeguard the loans/funds of the bank, the amendments in the “Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes Act, 1973” are imperative and essential across Pakistan to safeguard the financing of the banks/DFIs under digitalized/e-pass book system.

Later, the deputy speaker abruptly adjourned proceedings of the house until Friday after MNA Jamshed Dasti pointed out the lack of quorum.