ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Senate on Thursday approved the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill aimed at restructuring the suo motu powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan amid PTI-led pandemonium.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the legislation in the upper house of the parliament amid noisy slogans.
The bill received 60 votes in favour and 19 against it, amid a chaotic scene in the Senate as PTI lawmakers protested the decision.
Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the bill which was passed with majority votes.
The bill proposed that an appeal shall lie within 30 days from an order of a bench of the Supreme Court who exercised jurisdiction under clause (3) of the Article 184 of the Constitution to a larger bench of the Supreme Court and such appeal shall, for hearing, be fixed within a period not exceeding fourteen days.
According to the bill, the right of appeal under sub-section (1) shall also be available to an aggrieved person against whom an order has been made under clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution, prior to the commencement of this Act provided that the appeal under this subsection shall be filed within thirty days of the commencement of this Act.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the bill would also ensure the right of the free trail and due process of Law as enshrined under Article 10A of the Constitution.
Earlier, moving the bill in the House, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that it was the demand of the bar associations and councils to introduce the bill and they have supported the bill. “This bill was an old demand of the Bar Council which said that indiscriminate use of 184(3) should be stopped,” he added.
He said it was prerogative of the Parliament to do legislation under Article 191 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s rules were framed under Article 191 of the constitution and were promulgated in 1980.
He went on to say that Article 184 was excessively used in the past and some cases even executives were also pushed into the dock. The country has to bear hefty billions of dollars in loss in cases like Reko Diq and Pakistan Steel Mills etc, he added.
He said the bill aims to have transparent proceedings in the apex court and it also includes the right to appeal.
He said that all institutions have to follow the laws passed by the Parliament. The minister quoted the Article 191 of the Constitution which says that subject to the constitution and law, the Supreme Court may make rules regulating the practice and procedure of the Court.
Tarar said that the bill includes the right to appeal, adding that it was time for the Parliament to legislate on it now.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday proposed replacing traditional census practices with a more cost-effective and efficient automated system that updates information using the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and other modern technologies.
During the Senate question hour, Dar responded to a question from Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi and emphasized the potential of technology to transform traditional practices and streamline the process of enrolling the population. The new approach would eliminate the need for expensive census expenditures.
Dar said the government spent billions of rupees on the 2017 census, but Sindh, Balochistan, and partially South Punjab raised objections over its accuracy. Eventually, the constitution was amended to allow the holding of the 2018 general elections based on the last census.
Regarding the holding of separate general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dar objected, stating that according to the 18th amendment, elections in the country should be held simultaneously. In October, there will be two sitting governments, and the question is whether they will be dissolved or if a caretaker government will be appointed to ensure impartiality. However, the constitution does not allow for this.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar stated that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is making every effort to conduct the 7th Population & Housing Census digitally, in accordance with the decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in its 45th meeting held on April 12, 2021.
The CCI directed that “the process of the next census should start as early as possible according to international best practices by using the latest technology.”
To ensure effective monitoring, coordination, and policy decisions, the CCI constituted the Census Monitoring Committee (CMC), comprising all stakeholders.
In its 5th meeting held on January 17, 2023, the CMC recommended initiating the Census Field Enumeration/Operation for the 7th Population & Housing Census from March 1, 2023, to April 1, 2023.
The census results will be finalized on April 30, 2023, and provided to the Election Commission of Pakistan after approval by the CCI.
The Senate was informed today that the foreign exchange reserves stand at about ten billion dollars and the target is to take them to thirteen billion dollars by June this year.
Leader of the House and Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar told the House during Question Hour that there had been improvement in foreign exchange reserves over the last five weeks.
He said the government has not deferred any international obligation ever since coming to power and is making timely payments. He said our external debt has actually gone down.
Regarding the agreement with IMF, Ishaq Dar said technical discussions with the lender have been completed.
In his remarks, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar told the House that the process of 7th Population and Housing Census was in progress and had to be completed before 30th of next month.
He said it is the first time that digital census is being carried out for which 35 billion rupees were earmarked in the budget 2022-23. He said if the results of the census get confirmed, the delimitations and next elections should be held under it.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday felicitated the lawyers community over passage of the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Bill 2023.
The prime minister, in a statement, said he was thankful to Allah that a promise made to the lawyers community was fulfilled. A month ago the lawyers met him and he promised to them to get the law passed soon, he added.
He said the lawyers sacrificed their lives and their protection,welfare and well-being was a priority for the government.
“Members of both houses of Parliament are appreciable as they wrote a new history,” he remarked.
He said the lawyers fought for the rights of others and their rights should have been advanced but it was not done before.
The prime minister said the passage of the law would not only provide a better environment to the lawyers but they would be able to serve better under legal protection.
“We will continue to play our role for the betterment of the lawyers community,” he added.
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