ordinance in the shape of bill later. Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who earlier had gone to his chamber to offer Maghrib prayers, said the government could bring its business in the House adding that only question hour and calling attention notice have been suspended.
According to an amendment in the Pakistan Army Act, the ordinance states that “notwithstanding anything in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any person arrested, detained or held in custody by the armed forces, civil armed force or law enforcement agencies and kept under arrest, custody or detention before the coming into force of the Pakistan Army Act, 2015 shall be deemed to have been arrested or detained pursuant to the provisions of this Act as amendment by the Act if the offence in respect of which such arrest or detention was made also constitutes an offence as mentioned in Sub Clause III and IV”.
The statement of objects and reasons of the ordinance states that an extraordinary situation and circumstances exist which demand special measures for speedy trial of certain offence relating to terrorism, waging war or insurrection against Pakistan and prevention of acts threatening security of Pakistan by any terrorist group.
Meanwhile, resuming debate on the budget for the next financial year, Ghous Bux Khan Mahar called for reduction in duration of loadshedding and zero duty on import of solar panels to promote solar energy in the country. He also wanted more allocations for health, education and maintenance of law and order. He said there should be no interference in recruitment in police department.
Ali Gohar Khan Mahar said his district Ghotki was contributing significantly to national kitty and wanted special development package for the district to address its problems like lack of educational and health facilities and infrastructure. He wanted local quota for employment in oil and gas companies working in Ghotki.
Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan demanded supply of gas to all district headquarters in Balochistan and conversion of tube wells to solar power. He wanted sufficient allocations for Zhob-DI Khan road, for education in Fata and increase in export to bring down trade deficit.
Lal Chand was of the view that the new budget contains nothing significant for the common man. He criticised withdrawal of subsidy on electricity, wanted further increase in salaries of government employees and strict implementation of the minimum wages announced by the government.
Shakila Luqman said the present government has presented a balanced budget despite huge losses to the economy due to terrorism. She said announcement of Chinese president to invest forty six billion dollars in Pakistan was unprecedented. She lauded measures of the government that helped check inflation.
Sheikh Salahuddin believed that the budget would increase inflation. He demanded allocation of more resources to address problems of Karachi like terrorism, unemployment and water shortage.He also proposed that police personnel should be proportionate to the population of Karachi to take care of law and order problems.
Imran Zafar Leghari of PPP said that there was nothing in the budget for the common man. He challenged budgetary figures and statistics saying that GDP growth rate as mentioned by the finance minister in his budget speech was not correct.
Sher Akbar Khan called for interest-free economy and banking system. He said the government has depended largely on loans to meeting budgetary targets. “The government should do away with un-Islamic clauses in the finance bill,” he said.
Jamshed Dasti also rejected the budget proposals which he alleged had been prepared on the IMF dictation. “This is not budget presented by a democratic government,” he said.
APP adds: Meanwhile, the National Assembly offered Fateha for the departed souls of Shuhada who embraced shahadat in operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed led the Fateha and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.