ISLAMABAD: Vice President Pakistan Peoples Party and parliamentary leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman, said Monday the PPP in the Senate will not support any IT/PTA/RWA legislation that is not thoroughly discussed in the standing committee of Senate “with our deletions assured in the final bill.”
Writing on her account on “X”, she stated: “The bill as transmitted by National Assembly was stopped in Senate by us because it still contained draconian clauses we had repeatedly asked to be removed, especially 27 A. Our NA members were told these have been removed when the bill was moved there. Some other unacceptable clauses were removed but all were still not deleted when the bill was transmitted to us in the Upper House, which is why we insisted on sending it to Standing Committee in Senate.” She said the PPP was certainly not
against fiberisation in Pakistan, but had been refusing to pass the current bill with existing encroachments on right of way, egregious penalties and even redress mechanisms, which should not be in the hands of the executive.
The PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate appreciated the constitution of a government committee to look into its flaws, adding these should be brought to the standing committee once re-proposed. “Our chair is fully briefed. There is no hurry to push it through without satisfying us and other representatives. I would even suggest a public hearing to give people confidence that they are being heard,” she said.
“Our members will examine it there in the standing committee again. We will put the same amendments again as our position remains unchanged on right of way and private property. The latter is protected as a fundamental right,” she added.
“In the past we have given all amendments only to find key ones missing despite assurances they will be in the bill. I look forward to seeing the amended bill in Committee and Senate. That is the appropriate forum,” she stated.
