ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has constituted Legislative Drafting Council to assess the output and quality of work delivered by the Drafting Wing of the Assembly.

According to a press release, the Legislative Drafting Council will comprise 15 Members of the National Assembly with Speaker National Assembly as its Chairman. The Notification to this effect has been issued on Saturday.

The Council will work under the guidance of Speaker National Assembly and assess the performance output and quality of work delivered by the Drafting Wing.

The Council will also make suggestions, advice and guide the staff on Legislative drafting and instruct drafting of new legislation and bills on a particular subject or advise amendments in the existing enactments or bills.

The Opposition Parties had on Friday withdrawn the no-confidence motion against the Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri.

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Speaking in the National Assembly, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif had said the decision had been taken following the government and the opposition agreed to bring legislation on important matters with consensus.

Earlier, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak had said that meetings with the Opposition over the last few days had proved to be very effective and both the sides had agreed to move forward with consensus to ensure smooth functioning of the Parliament.

He had said the sanctity of the House will be upheld with the cooperation of the Opposition parties.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati had said that more discussion will be held on Medical Tribunal Ordinance, Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance and the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Ordinance, 2019. Bills on these three ordinances will be brought with consensus.

Azam Swati had said both the government and opposition had agreed to withdraw the Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Ordinance, 2019, the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Ordinance, 2019,  the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Ordinance, 2019, the Superior Courts (Court Dress and Mode of Address) Ordinance, 2019 and again pass them on the day of their withdrawal.

He said the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and The National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will be referred to the standing committees concern on the day of their presentation.

It merits mentioning here that these Ordinances were passed by the House last week but the opposition members had lodged a protest on the procedure of their passage.

On the occasion, treasury and opposition members had welcomed the posture by the government and opposition to move forward on the matter of legislation with consensus.

The House had offered fateha for the departed souls of those who died due to lightening in Thar.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan had told the House during question hour that a nationwide poverty survey is underway to update the data of Income Support Program.

He had said that this survey was expected to be completed by mid of next year and its data would be shared. He had said that the BISP currently reaches out to 5.02 million vulnerable and destitute House across the country to cushion them against income shocks triggered by inflation. He said an amount of 104.6 billion rupees disbursed among the poor families during the last financial year.

Ali Muhammad Khan had said a process has been started to bring reforms in the civil services and public sector departments.

Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Rukhsana Naveed had told the House that ban on the plastic bag has fully been implemented in the federal capital. She said violators of the bans are also being fined. She said that the concerned authorities have also confiscated plastic bags from different shops and malls.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari had said the present government had started the process to ensure implementation of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of children.

Expressing concerns over the incidents of child abuse, she had said we have decided to develop a sex offender registry. She said that an awareness campaign has also been started against child abuse in all the schools of the Federal capital. She had said it is the first time that our government has also started a child labour survey which will be completed by June next year.