Islamabad, The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, under the leadership of Senator Taj Haider, convened at the Parliament House today to discuss the “The Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill, 2023.”

According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee’s discussion centered on a public petition related to the status of the bill. Attending the meeting were Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Abida Muhammad Azeem, Senator Walid Iqbal, Mr. Murtaza Solangi, Federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and other senior officials.

The committee thoroughly reviewed various aspects of the proposed legislation, with an emphasis on the challenges faced by families when spouses are posted in different cities. This situation, as noted by the Chairman, causes significant strain on family institutions. Three petitioners shared their experiences, highlighting how their families have been negatively impacted by this issue for the past 25-30 years.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs provided an overview of the bill’s journey, from its passage in Parliament to its submission to the President. He highlighted that the bill, after not receiving presidential assent, was returned to Parliament for reconsideration under Article 75(1)(b) of the Constitution.

During the meeting, members extensively discussed the procedural aspects involved in forwarding bills to the President for assent, referencing Article 75 of the Constitution, the Rules of Business, 1973, and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012. Senator Kamran Murtaza suggested involving the legal team in the next meeting to further examine these rules and identify any procedural violations. Senator Walid Iqbal concurred, clarifying that the bill was in process in different divisions and not missing.

Concluding the meeting, Senator Taj Haider stressed the committee’s intent not to delay the passage of “The Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill, 2023” but to identify and correct the reasons for the procedural delay. He mentioned the possibility of reconsideration of the bill in a Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament.