Senate passes Elections ( Amend) Bills 2017

The Senate on Friday passed the 'Elections (Amendment) Bills 2017'. The Bill seeks to incorporate and reaffirm the provisions of Articles 7B and 7C of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 through addition of a new section 48A in the Election Act, 2017.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid said the status of Qadiyani or Lahori group will continue as non-Muslims.

He said if a person gets himself or herself enrolled as Muslim in the voter list, any other person can challenge this before the revising authority where he or she is required to sign the declaration of finality of Prophethood.

He said if the person refuses to sign that declaration then he shall be deemed as non-Muslim and his vote will be expunged from the list for Muslim voters and be included in the non-Muslim list. The House resumed debate on the state institutions and their role in the scheme of trichotomy of power.

Taking part in the debate, Sehar Kamran said the Constitution has very clearly defined limits of all the state institutions and they should

act within their stated domain.

Senator Abdul Qayyum said the executive, judiciary, and the parliament should concentrate on their capacity building. He said every institution should respect the domain of other pillars of the state.

Winding up discussion regarding various financial challenges, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur-Rehman said the largescale manufacturing Index of Pakistan has promisingly improved.

The Minister said unprecedented GDP growth rate was recorded at 5.28 percent last year. He said tax to GDP ratio has also increased. Baligh-ur-Rehman said tax receipts were recorded at 3112 billion rupees in year 2015-16, which further improved last year. He said tax receipts of four trillion rupees are expected in current fiscal year. The Minister said debt servicing was also brought down from 37 percent to 29 percent. The House will now meet on Monday at 3 pm.