June 22, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1427

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ISLAMABAD June 21: Leader of the opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on Wednesday challenged what he termed government’s misstatement that the Senate had allowed amendments in the finance bill.

Speaking at a news conference at parliament house Mr Rabbani rejected the government’s claim that the Senate had accepted amendments to 21 laws in the said finance bill and recalled that not only the opposition but the treasury lawmakers had objected to the amendments and termed it a bid to circumvent the upper house.

“This is a total misstatement and the whole upper house has taken a strong exception to it. The upper house had sent 32 unanimous recommendations on the bill,” Mr Rabbani said.

Criticising the government, he said that most of the laws were passed through ordinances instead of tabling them in shape of proper bills.

The Senate had proposed amendments in 21 laws in the Finance bill besides proposing a number of adjustments in various taxation measures. The opposition leader also challenged the government’s claims about the approval of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) bill by the mediation committee, which met here on May 31 under the minister of parliamentary affairs.