Govt needs to get NA nod for supplementary grants

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday unanimously passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Amendment of Article 84), making it compulsory for the federal government to acquire prior approval from the National Assembly for supplementary grants.

However, the committee recommended the Finance Division to draft a ‘list of events’ to help the government cope with unforeseen circumstances like epidemics or natural disasters.

The committee, which met under Senator Ali Zafar, also discussed The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Amendment of Article 106).

Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, one of the bill’s movers, explained that the bill aims to increase the general seats of Balochistan Assembly from 51 to 63.

He argued that Balochistan, being the largest province by area, faces challenges with a single constituency covering a vast area, making it difficult for candidates to campaign effectively.

The forum agreed on the amendment in principle but decided to invite the Election Commission of Pakistan to resolve concerns about the rationale for seat increase.

Furthermore, the Senate body deliberated on The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Amendment of Article 51). Senator Danesh Kumar, one of the bill’s movers, stated that the aim is to mandate political parties to elect at least one minority member for the National Assembly from each province.

He argued that recent history shows a bias towards electing minority members from Punjab and Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan minorities were neglected.

The law and justice secretary noted that while the principle allows parties to elect competent minority candidates nationwide, the amendment restricts them to Balochistan.

The committee decided to discuss the breakdown of minority population across the country to establish a formula for minority seats in the National Assembly.