ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a private member bill ‘The National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2016’.
Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan moved the bill to amend the National Commission on the Status of Women Act 2012 [The National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2016] in the House.
Dr Nikhat said the National Commission on the Status of Women was established to protect the rights of women. However, she observed that the commission remained without its chairperson for a long time.
The bill would ensure election of new chairperson within 30 days after retirement of incumbent head, she said.
She said the existing law would give a clear time frame to the government to appoint chairperson and make the commission more effective.
Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi deferred another private member bill [The Political Parties Order (Amendment) Bill, 2013] moved by Dr Nafisa Shah till next Private Member Day.
Speaking in the House, Dr Nafisa Shah said the bill aimed at bringing women in main stream by allocating 10 per cent representation to women to contest election on general seat.
She alleged that clear discrimination was being carried out with women parliamentarians and they were also being ignored in funds distribution. She said the bill was passed by the standing committee unanimously.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab said the Parliamentary Reforms Committee headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has already taken up various electoral reforms.
Murtaza Abbasi said the Speaker National Assembly had already referred the bill to the Parliamentary Reforms Committee.
