Senate adopts bill for protection of rights

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday unanimously adopted a bill for the protection of fundamental rights of transgender persons.

The bill: The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights), 2017 Bill, provides for protection, relief and rehabilitation of rights of transgender persons and their welfare and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.

As per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2017, presented by Senator Dr Karim Khawaja, will enable transgender people to be recognised as they perceived themselves and registered with government offices as transgenders. Other movers of the bill are: Rubina Khalid, Samina Saeed and Kalsoom Parveen.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani welcomed the passage of the bill and praised the moves and said it was yet again a prove that the Parliament was well aware of the issues, concerning masses and was doing its job i.e. legislation.

BNP-Mengal Senator Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini presented a report of the House committee on rules and procedure and privileges in the House on a privilege motion moved by Senator Syed Musazafar Hussain Shah. It pertained to alleged seizure of heroin at the Heathrow Airport London from PIA flight, the matter wherein a lady was invited by a PIA pilot to the cockpit on May 06, 2017 compromising the safety of passengers and the matter wherein a senior pilot went to sleep dur8ng the PIA flight PK-785 compromising the safety of passengers on April 26 last year.

The matter regarding non-provision of reports by PIA management to the Senate special committee on Performance of PIA came up in the meeting. It discussed the matter in its meetings. The officers of Aviation Division and PIA authorities were summoned to appear before the committee and gave the explanation in this context.

The division informed through working papers that the secretary, Senate special committee sought report on three points. They sent the report on the first point to the committee. Regarding the remaining points, they informed the committee that they sent a brief to the committee containing information on those points through a letter on July 05, 2017.

The panel showed concerns on the attitude of the government functionaries in providing information asked by the Parliament and its committees. It asked that the information be provided and directions by the Parliament and its committees should be complied with in true letter and spirit.