- Web Desk
- 25 Minutes ago
Joint session of parliament passes four bills amid PTI’s rumpus
- Web Desk
- 5 Hours ago
ISLAMABAD: The joint session of Parliament on Friday passed four laws, including the Trade Organisations Amendment Bill, amidst strong protests by PTI members.
The session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, began an hour later than scheduled.
President Asif Ali Zardari, on the advice of the Prime Minister, convened a joint session of Parliament today.
Speaking at Parliament House, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, “The government has included eight bills in today’s agenda. We will not be part of the proceedings.”
The opposition leader requested to speak on a point of order but was denied permission by the Speaker.
This led to a strong protest from opposition members, who stood in their seats, shouting slogans such as “Reject PECA Act” and “Stop oppression against journalists.” They also tore copies of the agenda in protest.
The opposition’s commotion turned the session into a chaotic scene, resembling a fish market. Despite the uproar, the Speaker continued with the proceedings, allowing the government’s legislative process to move forward.
Prominent figures, including Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, and others, were present in the session.
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Despite the rumpus, the house managed to pass four bills: the Trade Organisations Amendment Bill 2021 tabled by Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal, Imports and Exports Regulatory (Amendment) Bill 2023, National Excellence Institute Bill 2024 and the National Institute of Technology Bill 2024, presented by Zahra Wadood Fatemi.
While four bills: NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan (Amendment) Bill 2023, National Skills University Islamabad (Amendment) Bill 2023, Urdu University of Arts, Science, and Technology Islamabad (Amendment) Bill 2023 were deferred.
The joint session lasted for 18 minutes and was later adjourned till February 12.