ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: The People's Party Parliamentarians has submitted the Constitution (18th) Amendment Bill to the Senate secretariat, seeking restriction on promulgation of ordinances by the president while the upper house is in session, sources said on Sunday.

They said the bill, seeking amendment to Article 89 of the Constitution, had been submitted by the PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, and was likely to come up on the agenda in the next session, starting on Tuesday.

They said the senator had also submitted a bill to provide for the ratification of international agreements by parliament. They said that under the present laws the president could not promulgate an ordinance while the National Assembly was in session but there was no such restriction in case of the Senate.

Mr Rabbani has stated that the bill would "place fetters on the concept of legislation through ordinances to the exclusion of parliament." "The Ratification of Foreign Agreements by Parliament Act, 2004" suggests that "any agreement, treaty, contract or trade protocol, signed with a foreign government, bank, donor or lending agency by the government should be laid before parliament within 15 days of signing.

It says: "All agreements, treaties and contracts other than those initiated by the finance and commerce divisions shall be laid before parliament by the foreign affairs division." Agreements initiated by the finance and commerce divisions shall be laid before parliament by the respective divisions, it suggests.

It says: "Both the houses shall pass the foreign agreement within 15 days each or make a recommendation to the division concerned about an amendment to it."

It says: "The division concerned on receipt of the recommendation will, on its own or through the government, approach the other party to incorporate the same. A detailed report of the proceedings will be placed before parliament and it will be deemed that parliament has ratified the said foreign agreement." Under the bill a majority would be required for ratification of an agreement in both the houses of parliament.

When contacted, the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy's parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi said that under the existing rules, only the cabinet ratified such agreements and parliament remained unaware of various agreements signed by the government.

As some of the agreements had serious consequences on the economic, political and fundamental rights of the citizens, it was essential that those be subjected to a national debate and scrutiny through parliament, he said. He said parliamentary ratification provided transparency and public awareness.

Source said the PPP senator had also submitted two bills seeking amendments to the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962, and the Services Tribunals Act, 1973.