ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament in Wednesday’s session unanimously approved four bills, all introduced with specific objectives and receiving widespread support from the attending members.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazir Tarar, introduced The Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill 2023, which proposes a division of the Civil Aviation sector into two separate entities: the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) responsible for regulatory functions, and the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) in charge of commercial and operational aspects of airports.
The primary goal of this division was to enhance efficiency, improve services, and ensure compliance with international standards set by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The bill comes in the wake of the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines’ flight operations in the UK and Europe, triggered by an irresponsible statement made by a former Aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
The Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazir Tarar, successfully had another bill titled The Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Bill, 2023, passed by the House.
Minister for Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain, presented The National Commission for Human Development (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The bill’s objective is to enhance the effectiveness of over 7,000 employees of NCHD (National Commission for Human Development).
Minister for Finance, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, moved The Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Funds Bill, 2023, in the National Assembly. The bill aims to establish Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Funds to promote sustainable economic development through the management of fund assets, following the best international standards, policies, and practices. The objective is to maximize the value of these funds for the benefit of future generations.
The Minister mentioned that Pakistan possesses the largest gas pipeline valued at 40 to 50 billion dollars and has reserves of minerals and mines worth $6000 billion. To start with, seven such valuable assets, amounting to $8 billion, will be placed in the Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Funds.
Meanwhile, following a heated debate, the Chairman referred Bills, including The Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Bill, 2023 and The Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to relevant committees.
Senator Raza Rabbani, during a debate on the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023, emphasized the need to refer it to the relevant committee as he had proposed eight amendments.
In a show of protest, Rabbani tore copies of the Bill and expressed his displeasure over its hurried passage. Nevertheless, the Bill was eventually referred to the relevant committee for further refinement and discussions.
