ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday passed with amendments a bill aimed at encouraging and facilitating private investment in power generation and allied infrastructure despite serious reservations by smaller opposition groups and ruling coalition member Awami National Party.
What made the passage of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board Bill, 2011, amazing was the bonhomie seen between arch rivals Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N.Leader of Opposition in the Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Maulana Gul Naseeb of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Haji Mohammad Adeel of the ANP and Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party opposed the bill moved by Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar and termed it against the spirit of the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment.
They were of the opinion that doing legislation on controversial issues that could further alienate people in smaller provinces, particularly in Balochistan, should be avoided and asked the government to defer the bill to allow them further discussion.
The treasury benches, however, received a positive response from the PML-N when its parliamentary leader Ishaq Dar declared that the bill did not negate any clause of the 18th Amendment.
Encouraged by unusual cordiality shown by the PML-N, Senate Chairman Farooq H. Naek put the bill for a clause-by-clause voting. It was because of behind-the-scene understanding that the treasury members agreed to include all the amendments suggested by Mr Dar.
The government also agreed to defer the Special Economic Zones Bill, 2011, on the demand of Mr Dar till next week.
Mr Mandokhel withdrew all the amendments he had submitted in protest.
The National Assembly had passed the bill on October 14 last year, but after approval by the Senate with amendments it will go again to the lower house. If the National Assembly rejected the amended bill it will have to be passed in a joint sitting of parliament.
The accompanying statement of objects and reasons that the new law was expected to inspire public and public sector "confidence in the authority, credibility, efficiency and permanence" of the PPIB, which was originally created under the 1994 power policy of then PPP government to act as a "one-window operation" to attract and facilitate private investment in the sector.
The statement said donor agencies had "time and again" called for giving the PPIB a legal status, which it added, had even been cited by the Asian Development Bank as one of its conditions for its "multi-tranche facility" to the government.
Earlier, Tahir Mashhadi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement presented the report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges suggesting a number of changes in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate.
The house deferred the approval of the report for a few days to allow the members to go through it. If approved, it will be after 23 years that the Senate rules will be changed.
The Senate will again meet at 4pm on Wednesday.