The Senate has resumed its session at Parliament House with Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in the chair.

The Senate today (Monday) passed “The Pakistan Environmental Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2020”.

The Bill was moved by Senator Faisal Javed Khan. The Bill aims to amend the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997.

Twelve bills were also introduced.

The bills include “The Guardian and Wards (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” “The Public Complaints (Removal of Grievance) Bill, 2020,” “The Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” “The Right of Access to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” “The Islamabad Women University Islamabad Bill, 2020,” “The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” “The Pakistan Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” “The Islamabad Educational Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2021,” “The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021,” “The West Pakistan maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2021, “The General Clauses (Amendment) Bill, 2021”and “The criminal laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The chair referred the bills to the Senate standing committees concerned.

The House today also passed five resolutions.

First resolution recommended that the government should take immediate steps including public awareness campaign and strengthening of screening mechanism in banks to control the circulation of fake currency notes of 1000 and 5000 rupees denominations in the country which are almost similar to the original notes and to take stern action against the criminals involved in manufacturing and circulation of it.

Second resolution expressed its grave concerns and strongly condemns the sacrilegious, misleading and deceitful information floated on search engines of Google and Wikipedia depicting Mirza Masroor as the current Caliph of Islam.  It expresses concerns over the passive social media policy of Government leading to unchecked blasphemous and religiously misleading operational activities of non-Muslims on international social media networks and search engines in Pakistan. The resolution draws the attention of the Government towards the growing incidents of Islamophobia, publication and floating of sacrilegious information regarding Islam, the Holy Quran, the finality of the Holy Prophet (SAW), ideology of Pakistan on Google, Wikipedia and other social media networks operating in Pakistan. It strongly demands the Government to take immediate and result oriented steps for blocking the publication and floating of blasphemous, deceitful and misleading information/contents against Islam, Islamic beliefs, principles, rituals, the Holy Quran, the finality of the Prophethood of Hazarat Muhammad (SAW), the ideology of Pakistan and the social and cultural norms of Pakistan on Google, Wikipedia and other social media networks operating in Pakistan.”

Third resolution expressed grave concern on the increase in number of drug addicts in the country, the House demanded that the government should establish drug rehabilitation centers across the country.”

Fourth resolution is cognizant of the fact that Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected education in Pakistan resulting in the closure of over three hundred thousand schools in the country since March 2020 as majority of the students do not have access to the use of smart phones, 3G / 4G wireless and internet connectivity especially in far flung areas of Pakistan.  It recommended that in order to save the educational career of the students in all over the country, the government should devise a comprehensive distance learning strategy containing the utilization of all technological tools available in Pakistan in collaboration with all provincial Governments.

Fifth and last resolution recommended that the government may establish a border crossing point for public on Pak-Afghan border in the area of Kharakai, Shahi Bin Shahi in District Lower Dir.

The House has now been adjourned to meet again at 3pm tomorrow.