ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday unanimously passed a constitution amendment bill making it compulsory for the federal government to acquire prior approval from the National Assembly for supplementary grants.

However, the committee recommended the Finance Division to draft a ‘list of events’ to help the government cope with unforeseen circumstances like epidemics or natural disasters.

Every year, after passage of the federal budget, governments seek approval of the supplementary grants against the amount which they have already spent under various heads. During budget debates, the members always criticise this practice, stating that they have no option but to approve the supplementary grants as the government has already spent the amount.

The committee headed by Senator Ali Zafar of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also discussed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeking an amendment to Article 106 of the Constitution.

Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, one of the movers of the bill, explained to the committee members that the bill aimed to increase the general seats of the Balochistan Assembly from 51 to 63.

Mr Kakar, who belongs to Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), argued that Balochistan, being the largest province by area, faced challenges with a single constituency covering a vast area, making it difficult for candidates to campaign effectively. The committee members agreed on the amendment in principle but decided to invite the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to resolve concerns about the rationale for the seat increase.

Furthermore, the Senate body deliberated on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeking an amendment to Article 51 of the Constitution.

Mover of the bill Senator Danesh Kumar stated that the aim of the proposed bill was to mandate political parties to elect at least one minority member for the National Assembly from each province. He argued that recent history showed a bias towards electing minority members from Punjab and Sindh, neglecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan minorities.

Secretary Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar said while the principle allowed parties to elect competent minority candidates nationwide, the amendment restricted them to Balochistan.

The committee decided to discuss the breakdown of the minority population across the country to establish a formula for minority seats in the National Assembly.

Those who attended the meeting included senators Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Danesh Kumar, Kamran Murtaza, Walid Iqbal and other senior officials of relevant departments.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2024