Gulf Today

Lawmakers seek free air travel for their families

- Tariq Butt Tariq Butt

ISLAMABAD: Free air travel privilege is likely to be extended to the families of the members of parliament. Parliament­ary Affair Adviser Dr Babar Awan has presented a bill in the Senate to the effect.

The MPS (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 aims at “ensuring the utility of 25 air tickets to the parliament­arians for their family members, sans any burden on the exchequer.”

It points out that under the existing legislatio­n, 25 business class open return air tickets for parliament­arians could be substitute­d with travel vouchers of the equal amount — Rs300,000.

“The unutilised air tickets and vouchers for

In another post after her allegation­s, she said the alleged assault took place at Malik’s house in the Ministers’ Enclave around the time of the raid in which Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed. “I thought it [was] a meeting about my visa but I was given flowers/a drugged drink,” she wrote, claiming she “kept quiet” thinking no one in the then PPP government would help her.

“Recently they (PPP members) attacked famfinanci­al year 2019-20 will remain acceptable till their utilisatio­n up to June 30, 2020,” it read.

The bill’s statement of objectives and reasons read that Section 10 of the existing act regulates free travel privilege of the MPS, who were entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets from the airport nearest to their constituen­cies to Islamabad each year.

“There has been persistent demand by the MPS to extend the utility of the 25 air tickets to their family members as well. The National Assembly Standing on Rules of Procedure has recommende­d accordingl­y,” it read.

“Therefore, vouchers of equal value in lieu of admissible 25 business class open return air

Cynthia D. Ritchie Photo: Twitter ily; I’ve had it. Ready to face any accuser,” she said, adding that she is now engaged to a man whom she met in Pakistan, and it was him who tickets are proposed to be issued to the MPS that may be utilised by their family members as well.”

Under Section 10, every MP would be provided during vouchers worth Rs300,000 annually that would enable them to travel within the country by air or by rail at any time without payment of fare.

The bill read that the number of air tickets would remain 25 in a year and expenses would not increase, whereas the lawmaker could refund the unused air tickets.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked the members to forward their recommenda­tions on the bill till June 8 while a report would be encouraged her “to speak out, so we can move on as a couple.”

In her video, Ritchie alleged that she has endured harassment “primarily from the PPP” for a number of years now. “I have received countless threats against my life, rape threats, claims that PPP has my father,” she claimed, adding that she has “evidentiar­y support” of everything she has been posting. presented in the House within ten days by the relevant committee.

In February this year, the upper house of parliament had rejected a bill seeking an increase in the salaries of lawmakers after majority of the members belong to both opposition and government termed it “inappropri­ate” owing to economic slowdown in the country.

The draft Salaries and Allowances Amendment Bill, tabled by Senator Naseebulla­h Bazai, called for an increase in the monthly pay of the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker from Rs225,000 to Rs879,000 to match the salaries of Supreme Court judges.

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