The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution urging the government to prepare and implement a National Action Plan for providing a gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology and digital education.

The resolution moved by Seemee Ezdi and others asked the government to equip women and girls with digital skills through prioritizing education in Information Communication Technology subjects and allocate separate funds through PSDP projects on digital empowerment of women.

The resolution recognized that bringing women and other marginalized groups into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.

Another resolution passed by the house demanded the government to establish a permanent Division and its subordinate Task Force under the administrative control of the Ministry of Finance for chalking out a practical roadmap of eliminating Riba and establishing an interest free financial and economic system in the country.

It said that the government should enact laws for prohibiting individual and collective interest/riba based business in the country.  It said that interest/riba should be eliminated from various financial institutions.

Speaking on the resolution, Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghous Pasha said it is the government's priority to make the financial system free of riba. For this purpose, a task force has already been established to prepare a roadmap in this regard. 

Speaking on a motion, Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan said efforts are underway to promote Urdu language at different levels. He said there are also rulings of the Supreme Court and a High Court on the enforcement of Urdu as an official language.

Earlier, the House passed two bills including: The Control of Narcotics Substances Amendment Bill 2022 and Pakistan Institute of Research and Registration of Quality Assurance Bill, 2023.

Three bills were laid before the Senate. These included: The Toshakhana (Maintenance, Administration and Regulation Bill, the National Commission on the Rights of Child (Amendment) Bill and the Export Processing Zones Authority Amendment Bill.

The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.

The house has now been adjourned to meet again on Tuesday at 11:00 am.