Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Sunday dropped a bill aimed at curbing violent extremism after fierce opposition from lawmakers, including those from the ruling coalition.
According to the agenda for session, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was supposed to table the bill titled ‘The Prevention of Violent Extremism Bill 2023’. However, many parliamentarians, including those from the ruling coalition, opposed the bill.
PTI’s Mohammad Humayun Mohmand said that he did not know why the bill was being tabled on Sunday. “Is there an emergency in Pakistan that we come and do this on Sundays, on public holidays?”
He went on to say that if such legislation was passed by following the due procedure, then it would only add to its credibility. “If we do something in haste just because the government thinks little time remains, then haste makes waste,” he said. Climate Minister Sherry Rehman tried to defend the holding of today’s session and said that in the past sessions had been called on Sundays and Saturdays. She also commented on the statements by other parliamentarians questioning why the bills on the agenda were not being referred to the relevant committees.
“Perhaps, they don’t know that when the National Assembly (NA) completes its term, the bills that originate from there the rule is that they become infructuous the day the assembly’s term ends,” she said. Sherry said that the Senate could also introduce amendments in bills after the assembly’s term ended. “No one likes hasty legislation,” she said. PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui then said that as a member of the ruling party, there was perhaps a compulsion that they would vote for the bills, adding that they would do so.
