NA body unanimously passes Competition Bill

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Wednesday thoroughly deliberated and examined the Competition Bill, 2007 (Competition Ordinance, 2007) and unanimously passed the bill. The committee met here with Fauzia Wahab in the chair to re-consider and re-examine the Competition Ordinance, 2007. Chairman Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) briefed the committee and said that enactment of the Competition Bill, 2007 and establishment of a dedicated competition agency is a need of time

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Wednesday thoroughly deliberated and examined the Competition Bill, 2007 (Competition Ordinance, 2007) and unanimously passed the bill.

The committee met here with Fauzia Wahab in the chair to re-consider and re-examine the Competition Ordinance, 2007.

Chairman Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) briefed the committee and said that enactment of the Competition Bill, 2007 and establishment of a dedicated competition agency is a need of time.

The promulgation of the bill itself is a stepping stone towards achieving improvement in the competition law and policy of the country.

The bill primarily based on the Treaty of Rome has been tailored to take into account the socio economic realities.

However, by doing so, it is still on all counts in accordance with international best practices and conforms to the recommendations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other international regional bodies, he added.

He further said that it prohibits abuse of market dominance, anti-competitive agreements, deceptive market practices and mergers of undertakings that substantially reduce competition.

It avoids procedures that may pose unnecessary transaction or compliance costs on firms, obstacles to beneficial mergers and acquisitions and unnecessary restrictions on innovative horizontal and vertical arrangements among firms.

The meeting was attended by MNAs including Nafisa Shah, Khalida Mansoor,Riaz Fatyana, Aftab Shaban Mirani and Arif Aziz Shaikh besides other senior officials from Ministry of Finance and Competition Commission of Pakistan.

Protect Female Rights’ Bill At Work PLaces

PAKISTNA, ISLAMABAD: Bill to protect the rights of females at the work places, especially in government offices was introduced on Tuesday in the National Assembly.

MNA Khalida Mansoor introduced the bill to amend the Civil Servants Act, 1973 (The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2009). (Amendment of Section 10).

Elaborating the features of the bill, she said that females working in different government offices often face inconvenience due to one or the other reason.

It has observed that the females posted far from their home often resign from their posts or take long leave, she said adding that the bill will protect their rights at the work places.

Meanwhile, Yasmeen Rehman, Mir Munawar Ali Talpur, Sher Muhammad Baloch, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho and Abdul Qadir Patel introduced a bill to extend certain facilities to disabled persons,(The Disability Concessions Card Bill, 2009).

Yasmeen Rehman said that a special card should be issued to disabled persons to get facilities at bus stands, banks and other places.

The Minister for Social Welfare Samina Khalid Ghurki said that her Ministry is already issuing card to disabled persons.

She suggested that the bill should be referred to concerned committee for further discussion.

Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Tasneem Siddiqui, Shaikh Rohale Asghar and Muhammad Arshad Khan Leghari introduced a bill to amend the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962 [the Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2009] (Insertion of new sections 18A, 18B, 18C.etc).

MNA Ishrat Ashraf, said there were a number of lacunas in the 1962 Ordinance to improve the banking system.

She said, this amendment would help end problems of consumers besides simplifying the procedure of banks.

Dr. Attiya Inayatullah introduced a bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 [The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2009].

While, a bill moved by PML-Q MNa Marvi Memon seeking amendment in Articles 175, 186A, 198 and 218 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was deferred.

Efforts For Independent Judiciary: Iftkhar Ch

PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said media and civil society played the pivotal role in the success of lawyers’ movement but for the complete independence of judiciary and independent Pakistan, still more efforts are required.

Addressing the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA), Iftikhar said past government amended the constitution according to their vested interests and wills. “Judiciary endorsed the unconstitutional government and the situation today would be different only if judiciary avoided support of illegitimate government in past.”

“Print and electronic media took the bull by the horn by resisting the unconstitutional action of emergency imposed on November 3, 2007 by the then president,” he said and added, “Media, civil society and lawyers rendered unprecedented sacrifices and struggled as much as they could for the restoration of independent judiciary.”

“Now, no judge of Supreme Court (SC) and High Courts (HCs) will take oath against constitution”, CJP concluded.