State assets bill passed

A parliamentary debate cut short because of time constraints followed by a PPP/C walkout saw the controversial State Assets Recovery Bill being passed shortly before 10pm yesterday. With the bill likely to be assented to within days and operationalized, there will be intensified speculation about who faces the seizure of assets and the PPP/C signalled yesterday that a court challenge to the bill is imminent. The 2 pm to 10 pm session saw heated arguments from both sides of the divide with the opposition stressing that the bill was a partisan one aimed at targeting them and intimidating their supporters, and government countering that it was simply fulfilling a United Nations agreement that the PPP/C had signed and ensuring the future assets of the state were secured.