ISLAMABAD, Dec 6: The government on Tuesday came under fire over gender bias issue as a result two private members bills proposing concessions to women were sent to the National Assembly standing committee on human rights and law.
The house was adjourned till Thursday after holding over two-hour proceedings and disposing off only 13 items out of an 89-item order of the day.
A voice of dissent was heard from a ruling PML lawmaker Farooq Amjad Mir who criticised the party (leaders) for holding no parliamentary party meeting in which the members could present their point of view about various legislative issues.
Mr Mir is famous for his outbursts against the party leadership and is known as spokesman of the forward block in the PML.
He spoke when the minister for parliamentary affairs advised another fellow lawmaker from speaking against government’s policy on legislative business.
As Mr Mir finished brief tirade against the party leadership, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain said in an apparent support of the dissident member, “such matters must be discussed and decided inside the party.”
The first bill moved by PPP Parliamentarian’s Samina Khalid Ghurki sought an amendment to article 33 of Act 70, proposing enhancement of women representation in the Services Tribunal.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan opposed the bill, saying that there was no discrimination against women in providing them representation in any official body.
He advised Mrs Ghurki to refrain from speaking against party policy and discuss the issue inside the party.
Mehnaz Rafi of the PML, however, took serious notice of the government side opposition to a bill which, in her view, went in the interest of women. She recommended referring of the bill to the house standing committee, instead of defeating it on vote count.
Another private member’s bill sought to be moved by Dr Azra Fazal Peechuho pertained to provision of equal opportunities of employment to women.
