The Senate on Monday passed two private member bills including the National Highway Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Both the bills were piloted by Senator Mohsin Aziz in the House. The National Highway Safety (Amendment) Bill is aimed at increasing in fine from Rs500 to Rs25,000 and one month imprisonment on driving under the influence of drugs and the penalty limit to be increased from Rs25,000 to Rs50,000 and six months imprisonment on repeated violations.
The statement of objects and reasons of the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2021 says it has been observed in the recent past that the persons driving cars especially public transport are found under the influence of alcohol or drugs which seriously affects motor skills such as eye, hand and foot coordination. Without crucial coordination skills, a person may be unable to avoid an impending harmful situation. Therefore it is proposed to increase the penalty.
The Upper House also referred seven bills to the relevant standing committees for further deliberations.
The Bill “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021” (Amendment of Articles 1, 51, 59, 106, 154, 175A, 198 and 218), moved by Senator Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan was referred to the standing committee concerned.
The Bill, moved by Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui “The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was referred to the relevant standing committee.
The Upper House also referred a Bill, moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz that was meant to amend the Guadian and Wards Act, 1890, to the standing committee concerned for further deliberation.
The Bill moved by Senator Naseebullah Bazai “The Prime University Nursing, Sciences and Technology (PUNST) Islamabad Bill, 2021” was also referred. The Bill moved by Senator Farooq Hamid Naek “The Constitution Amendment) Bill, 2021”, was also referred. Same was the case with the Bill, moved by Senator Shahadat Awan “The Children Pledging of Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2021, “The Establishment of the Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) (Amendment) Bill, 2021”, and “The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022”.
Responding on the Bill, Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) being restructured as there were numerous complaints and issues related to PSQCA.
Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions informed that the quota of 36 reserved seats of MBBS/ BDS in medical collages for students of ex-Fata has approved by the authority concerned and the issue of medical quota in the institution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has also resolved.
The committee directed that the matter must be resolved at the earliest and that a circular will be passed over to Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) members for feedback.
The committee recommended that a letter should be sent on behalf of the Senate Secretariat to ensure that the matter is expedited. The committee also gave chance to students protesting against PMC to come and raise their demands before the PMC representative and to reach a conclusive decision but unfortunately the President PMC was not present in the meeting.
The agenda entailed reviewing details of non-local staff serving in hospitals in merged areas and issues pertaining to teaching and non-teaching staff of the remaining Governor Model Schools in merged districts. The committee also deliberated over the issues of extension of scholarships program for admission in medical and dental colleges and doubling of quota for universities for candidates of merged districts.
While discussing details of the non-local staff serving in hospitals of merged areas, Chairman Committee, Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman directed the Health Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to share detailed lists along with CNIC numbers so that these could be verified by NADRA.
