ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved on Tuesday a resolution seeking increase in the basic salary of government employees in the upcoming federal budget.
The resolution was moved by Tahira Bukhari of the ruling PML-N. It received support from all other political parties, despite mild opposition from Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan.
The parliamentary secretary assured the house that the government would try to give maximum relief to the employees within the resources available. He claimed that the government had succeeded in controlling price hike by maintaining inflation rate within single digit.
Moreover, he said, there had already been 155 per cent increase in the salary of government employees during the last five years.
Salman Baloch of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement expressed fears that if the federal government did not increase the salary, the provincial governments would also not raise it.
Some of the members, including independent member Jamshed Dasti, demanded an increase of at least 50 per cent in the salary.
Earlier, the members introduced seven private member bills and all of them were referred to the standing committees concerned for further deliberation.
Of the seven bills, four were introduced by Asiya Nasir of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2014 moved jointly by 16 MNAs has sought amendment to Article 37(h) of the Constitution which says that consumption of alcohol is allowed to non-Muslims for religious purposes.
Arguing in support of the bill, Ms Nasir said that no religion, including Hinduism and Christianity, allowed drinking liquor on religious festivals and this clause was being misused by the people in the name of minority rights.
Through the Suppression of Terrorist Activities (Special Courts) (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and the Telegraph (Amendment) Bill, 2014, the JUI-F legislator has sought enhancement in the punishment for making obnoxious telephone calls or sending threatening messages on mobile phones or through internet.
Ms Nasir also introduced Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2014, seeking to cover domestic workers under the law as these do not fall in the definition of employer and employees in the original bill.
Dr Azra Fazal of the PPP introduced the Compulsory Blood Test for the Relatives of Thalassaemia Patients Bill, 2014 whereas Munaza Hassan with six other members moved the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2014, suggesting that returning officers and presiding officers should also be made respondents in the petitions about election rigging.
MQM’s Sheikh Salahuddin moved an amendment to the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the National Assembly, suggesting that the elections of the speaker and the deputy speaker should be held simultaneously to save time and finances.