NA passes Anti-Money Laundering Bill

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday passed three bills including the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2015 that would help the government ensure that the proceeds of crimes and property involved in money laundering are detected, investigated and prosecuted against effectively.
The NA also passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Stock Exchanges (Corporatisation, Demutualization and Integration) (Amendment) Bill, 2015. As many as 28 amendments in the Anti Money Laundering Act, 2015 are aimed at streamlining the existing law in line with international standards prescribed by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and to bring consistency and clarity in the enforcement provisions.
The Companies (Amendment) bill, 2015 passed by the house seeks to provide for the companies to either cancel the re-purchased shares or retain them as treasury shares. The listed companies which feel that their share is undervalued on the stock market may get back their shares which may improve the earning per share of such companies and bring stability in market price of such shares.
Meanwhile, just a day after deciding to play combined opposition, the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) staged joint protest on floor of the NA on issue of passage of a resolution on the eve of International Women’s Day. The House adopted a resolution recommending concrete efforts to end discrimination and violence against women. But the house could not have a consensus draft as the resolution moved by the government was opposed by PPPP and PTI.
The parliamentarians belonging to PPPP and PTI stood up and started raising slogans of ‘No No’ when the government wanted amendment in the resolution drafted by the PPPP in connection with International Women’s Day. Dr Shazia Mari said she had handed over draft of the resolution to Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad prior to start of proceedings. She said that the Minister could have discussed draft of the resolution with the opposition. The opposition members were of the view that the government- sponsored resolution did not mention reality of violence against women in Pakistan.
“The resolution is being passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan, therefore, it should specifically mention case of violence against women in Pakistan,” Dr Shazia Mari said. The NA offered fateha for the martyred lady pilot Marium Mukhtiar who died Tuesday afternoon in a jet crash in Mianwali.
The NA deferred the Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, 2015 following protest from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). JUI-F parliamentarian Naeema Kishwar raised an objection that the jurisdiction of the authority would only be to ensure export of Halal food and would have no control on food items being imported to Pakistan. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman said people are unknowingly using various packed food items which contain Haram ingredients and it was required that the jurisdiction of the Halal Food Authority is also extending to import of such items.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) parliamentary leader Sahibzada Tariqullah supported amendment moved by the JUI-F parliamentarian. Dr Shireen Mazari of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) opposed the amendment saying the proposed legislation would result in export of Halal food to Muslim countries. Federal Minister Zahid Hamid who moved the bill said that control on import of Haram food has already been covered in the Customs Act. The bill is aimed to establish the Pakistan Halal Authority to promote trade and commerce in Halal articles and processes. The NA was informed that the government of Bangladesh would be asked to ensure adherence to the tripartite agreement reached between Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
Speaking on a calling attention notice moved by Jamaate- Islami (JI) parliamentarians, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad assured movers of the notice and the house that High Commissioner of Bangladesh would be summoned to the Foreign Office to convey concerns of Pakistan over execution of opposition leaders in his country.
“We will convey it to the Bangladesh government to move for improvement in relations and it should abide by the 1974 agreement which called for reconciliation between the two countries,” he said. The Minister pointed out those who supported Pakistan in 1971, used their constitutional and democratic right to do so and they never acted against the state.
JI parliamentary leader Sahibzada Tariqullah and other party members raised the calling attention notice expressing concerns over hanging of various politicians including Ali Ahsan Mujahid, secretary general of JI Bangladesh and Salahuddin Qadir, leader of the Bangladesh National Party by the so-called International War Crimes Tribunal in violation of the agreement executed by Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The JI members expressed satisfaction over stance taken by the Foreign Office and the Minister for Interior on the issue. However, they said that the High Commissioner of Bangladesh should be called to the Foreign Office to register protest of the Pakistan Government over execution of politicians in Bangladesh.
“Such an act on part of the Bangladesh Government is violation of both human rights and the 1974 agreement,” Sahibzada Tariqullah said adding the two countries should establish ties as brotherly Muslim countries. Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqoob said the politicians in Bangladesh were being punished for supporting Pakistan in 1971.