Senate unanimously passes Naya Pakistan Housing Bill

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the Senate Tuesday unanimously passed a bill for the establishment of Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NPHDA), as the opposition extended conditional support to the government on this key legislation.

The proposed piece of legislation had already been cleared by the House standing committee concerned. However, some opposition senators, including JI’s Mushtaq Ahmad, Sirajul Haq, Leader of Opposition in the House Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq and Muhammad Javed Abbasi of PML-N said assurances had been given to them for amendments after mutual consultation in the proposed law.

Senators Mushtaq and Sirajul Haq said that there at least amendments, proposed in connection with the bill, as it included many things unacceptable to them, including loans on interest. “This interest-based part of the bill runs contrary to the Islamic injunctions,” they emphasised and made it clear not to back it. Senator Mushtaq had his dissenting notice to the committee report.