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Pakistan s parliament has passed a bill for providing legal assistance in international criminal matters as part of efforts to fulfil the conditions set by the global financial watchdog FATF. The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Amendment Bill was passed by the Senate, the upper house, on Friday amidst protest by the Opposition.
Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June, 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete it by October, 2019. Since then the country continues to be in that list due to its failure to comply with the FATF mandates.
July 17, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The opposition uproar and walkout in the Senate on Friday marred the proceedings, as the government managed to push through five bills, taking advantage of the opposition senators’ limited presence in the House.
PPP parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman strongly agitated against the taking up of supplementary agenda and insisted the bills passed after voting on the two bills listed on the orders of the day was a bulldozed legislation, having no value.
After the question hour on the last day of the current session, the opposition opposed FATF-related the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 when Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani sought the leave of the House to allow introduction of the bill.
The bill was passed by majority vote as the opposition kept on expressing its reservations. Photo courtesy Senate website
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday passed another FATF-related bill amid an outcry from the opposition which suffered back-to-back defeats in the house where it otherwise enjoys dominating numerical strength.
When Railways Minister Azam Swati tabled a motion seeking permission to introduce the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Amendment Bill, the opposition members opposed the move. The motion was put for voting through division and was carried by 43 against 33 votes, marking first blow to the opposition in the day.
The amendments proposed by Mushtaq Ahmad of Jamaat-i-Islami, who said the bill was against fundamental rights, constitution, principles of natural justice and national interest, were also rejected by a voice vote.