ISLAMABAD, June 22, 2013: Forty-six Senators took part in the debate on the federal budget during the 95th session of the Upper House, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its report released on Saturday. Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics, Planning and Development presented before the House 113 recommendations, which were unanimously adopted in the last sitting of the session.
The session from 18 February to 14 March 2013 lasted 36 hours and 14 minutes. On average, each of the 17 sittings lasted two hours and seven minutes, starting 49 minutes late. Overall the upper house passed 15 bills including four private members' bills. A private member's bill introduced by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate “to consolidate the law to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution” by NGOs “for any activities detrimental to the national interest” was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.
Low attendance of senators, lackluster debates on the issues of national significance such as the deteriorating law and order, devastation caused by floods in Balochistan...
