ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said Friday that the bill to extend the tenure of Military Courts will be tabled in the National Assembly on Monday and later it will be presented in the Senate.
Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, the Finance Minsiter said country is passing through extraordinary circumstances and the political parties have taken the decision to extend military courts for two years in the best interest of the country. He said we must ensure judicial reforms and implementation of the National Action Plan in these two years.
Minsiter for Law and Justice Mr Zahid Hamid responding to an adjournment motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan and others said that government is making all out efforts to ensure fair, transparent and credible census. He said each and every suggestion from the House will be given due consideration to make the census process credible and transparent.
The Minister said that column for special persons and transgenders have been included in the census form on the directions of Supreme Court. Similarly, census in all the agencies of FATA will be held in second phase on the suggestion from the people of the area as they believe that all the IDPs of FATA have not returned.
Zahid Hamid said that directions have also been issued to enumerators that use of pencil will not be allowed whiling filling in the census form.
The members did not press their motion further.
Responding to another adjournment motion moved by Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that no discriminatory concession will be allowed to Chinese industries harmful to local industry of Pakistan. He said that economic zones will be established under CPEC and China wants to relocate its industry as it is doing in other parts of the world in search of cheap labour. He, however, said that no mechanism or framework has yet been decided in this regard and all the apprehensions to this effect are baseless.
Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Sherry Rehman, Zahid Hamid told the House that Pakistan Environment Protection Agency had sealed three Steel Mills for violating the Environment Protection Order. He said only one of the sealed mills has been allowed while the rest was not complying with environment requirements. The Senate today passed “The Pakistan Climate Change Bill, 2017”.
The bill moved by Minister for Law Zahid Hamid meets Pakistan’s obligations under international conventions relating to climate change and address the effects of climate change. INP