Senate disapproves PMDC Ordinance, 2019

ISLAMABAD: Cashing in on its clear numerical strength, joint opposition Thursday pushed through the Senate a disapproval resolution regarding the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Ordinance, 2019 (Ordinance No. II of 2019).

The first sitting of the new session, following the no-trust motions bout, was bumpy, as the treasury and opposition members traded allegations of preferring personal political and financial interests over public interests.

Leader of the Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq was on his feet to hurl a warning at the government not to table a report of the House Standing Committee on the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill, 2019 in the House, otherwise, things might go out of control in the House.

To this, Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz and Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Swati said that the report carried signatures of all its members while the opposition was in majority in the House standing committee and that the ordinance was moved in the House as a bill.

They questioned the logic behind resisting the report. However, Swati said that the government believed in evolving consensus and moving ahead with consultations on legislation for masses. The report was not laid in the Senate after the minister moved a motion for its withdrawal. The treasury then saw no logic in presenting a resolution for disapproval of the bill.

However, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, whose resolution was on number 15 of the orders of the day, rose to emphasise that there should be voting on her resolution, which she moved in the House that reads “This House disapproves the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Ordinance, 2019 (Ordinance II of 2019)”.

She contended that the report had been withdrawn while the bill was attached to it but the ordinance was separate and it also needed to be withdrawn, as it was still holding the field.

Senators Shibli and Swati said that it was agreed in the House Business Advisory Committee and they acted accordingly. Senator Javed Abbasi, whose similar resolution had lapsed was on his feet that the ordinance be withdrawn, as they had been saying since day one. He pointed out it was also vital to withdraw it as it was promulgated on January 05 and since then, many actions would have been taken since then.

Shibli alleged it was sad for him to say that the opposition was only doing politics on this matter and wanted to serve its own interests and obstructing legislation purely in public interests to improve the health sector.

“Don’t force me to name each and every one of you, s to what you do,” he remarked, prompting several opposition members to rise and unleash verbal attack on him. Senator Sherry alleged that some relatives of Prime Minister were also involved that was why the session had been summoned and the bill was to be moved for passage, which had already been rejected by the Pakistan Medical Association.

She retorted what kind of transparency the government was talking about, when the committee to be formed would work under the President and its members would be appointed through nominations. The committee Chairman Senator Mian Ateeq Shaikh alleged that he had been approached by the opposition, requesting for not passing the bill while PPP minister had phoned him several times against the piece of legislation. Opposition Senator Dr. Ashok Kumar charged that the committee chairman had tried to influence him regarding the bill. The Senate chairman then put the resolution to the House, which was disapproved through voice vote.