CPEC Authority, 26th amendment bills are tabled in Lower House

ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Bill 2020 and the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) bill were tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The National Assembly resumed its session here at the Parliament House with Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri in the chair.
Two bills including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Bill, 2020 and the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) bill were laid by Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.
Under the CPEC bill, the authority will comprise a chairperson and five members to be appointed by the prime minister. While their tenure will span four years, the chairperson can be given one-time extension for another four years. No person will be appointed as chairperson for a third term in a row, the bill stipulates.
The House also passed three resolutions extending Public Procurement Regulatory (Amendment) Ordinance, the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Ordinance and the Corporate Restructuring Companies (Amendment) Ordinance for a period of one hundred and twenty days.
The resolutions were moved by Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.
The National Assembly also passed two bills including the Emigration Amendment Bill and the Control of Narcotic Substances Amendment Bill.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the government has brought a change in the drug policy under which the pharma companies cannot increase the prices of medicines without approval of relevant ministry. He said the prices of medicines have been rationalized to ensure their availability in the market. He said prices of eighty nine medicines have also been reduced.
Responding to another calling attention notice, Ali Muhammad Khan said a law has been enacted to ensure the country produces quality doctors.
Taking the floor, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary asked the opposition parties to sit with the government for talks on electoral reforms and better future of the country. He, however, said no compromise will be made on their corruption cases.
The minister said it is the right of the opposition to stage protests and criticize the government. However, they should not target the state. He regretted the language used against state institutions by the opposition parties in their protest gatherings.
The House has now been prorogued. – TLTP