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Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Senate passes Journalists and Media Professionals Bill
ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament has unanimously passed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, 2022, a legislative draft which provides that any person found involved in using 'abusive, violent or intolerant behaviour with a journalist during performing his duty – shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or with fine not exceeding three hundred thousand rupees or with both.' In addition, seven other bills were passed by the Senate in its meeting on Monday presided over by Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani. Saleem Mandviwalla from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) presented the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that received support from both treasury and opposition sides. 'We support this bill. All the clauses of this bill have been thoroughly reviewed,' said opposition lawmaker Ali Zafar, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Leader in the Senate. The bill seeks to amend the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021 with the insertion of some new sections including Section 20A. 'No person shall be permitted to use abusive, violent or intolerant behaviour with a journalist during performing his duty. However, any person who commits this offence shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or with fine not exceeding three hundred thousand rupees or with both,' this Section reads. Another newly inserted Section 20B reads that no person shall force a journalist to disclose any source of information which he received during performing his duty except under the prevailing law. 'However, any person who violates this Section shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or with fine not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees or with both,' it reads. The Section 20C says that a journalist shall perform his duty independently without pressure of any person, group, organisation or department. 'However, any person who violates this Section shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or with fine not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees or with both.' The Section 20E (1) provides that any police officer who does not comply with the provisions of this law in relation to protection of journalist or any other public officer who 'wilfully delays or hinders in providing or processing the information shall be punished with imprisonment of either description not less than two years and up to three years and a fine of not less than one hundred thousand and up to three hundred thousand.' The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, 2022 also provides for the establishment of a commission for the protection of journalists and media professionals. Meanwhile, seven other bills passed by the House were: Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2025, State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Abandoned Properties (Management) (Amendment) Bill, 2024, National Institute of Health (Re-organisation) (Amend-ment) Bill, 2024, Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The following bills were introduced in the House and referred to the relevant standing committees. They were Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill, 2025. The Senate was adjourned till Thursday. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
28-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PIPS Board approves Rs683m budget
ISLAMABAD: The Board of Governors of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) has approved an annual budget of nearly Rs 683 million for PIPS, showing a remarkable increase of 33 percent in comparison with Rs 513.4 million, the Institute's annual budget for the outgoing fiscal year 2025-25. Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani presided over the PIPS BoG meeting in his additional official capacity as the Board's President. Speaking at the meeting, Gilani shared that the Institute proposed a 33 percent increase in the budget estimates for the upcoming FY 2025–26. The main reason for this increase is the relocation of 24 employees to PIPS Islamabad from the provincial assemblies concerned, following a decision made by the Board in July, last year, he said. This, Gilani said, has resulted in a 20 percent increase in staff at the PIPS Islamabad office. Executive Director PIPS Asim Goraya briefed the BoG meeting on the Institute's budget. The PIPS budget for FY 2024–25 was Rs 513.4 million, of which one-third (Rs 171.1 million) was provided by the Senate, and two-thirds (Rs 342.3 million) by the National Assembly, he said. Additionally, provincial assemblies contributed Rs 40 million, with each having contributed Rs 10 million, Goraya said. After the budget was unanimously approved by the Board members, Gilani asked the Board members to submit their recommendations in writing regarding the relevant financial matters concerning PIPS. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Gilani distanced himself from over 600pc pay raise
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani has distanced himself from over 600 percent raise in his salary, saying he has 'nothing to do' with this development. 'I was not consulted by anyone in this regard. I have nothing to do with my salary raise,' Gilani told the media, when asked about unprecedented raise in his salary, on the sidelines of the Senate session on Friday. Asked whether he was going to 'reverse' this raise by returning the increased salary, Gilani replied, 'get it reversed, it would be a good thing to do.' Federal government as well as the custodians of the two Houses of the Parliament are under massive public criticism following the surfacing of a government notification from last month in which over 600 percent increase in the salaries of the chairman Senate, speaker National Assembly, deputy chairman Senate and deputy speaker NA was notified. Conspicuously, feeling the heat of public criticism, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif joined the public circles in slamming this raise, terming it 'financial vulgarity,' in a recent post on X. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also appeared 'defensive'— with reports suggesting that the PM 'took notice' of the matter, and ordered an inquiry into massive pay raise and other perks for NA speaker and deputy speaker as well as Senate chairman and deputy chairman. 'I respect the defence minister — but I have nothing to do with the pay raise,' Gilani told reporters on Friday. Meanwhile, the chairman Senate presided over the Senate session. The House unanimously passed the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025, moved by Law Minister Azam Tarar. The bill deals with the registration of religious seminaries. Last December, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced the plan to launch a protest movement to push the government to enact this legislation. Later, he postponed the planned protest reportedly after the government assured him to resolve the matter. The House also passed a unanimous resolution in condemnation of Israel's attack on Iran. Moved by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, the resolution expressed concern over what it described was inaction of Muslim world against genocide of Palestinians, 'which has now led Israel to attack another sovereign Muslim state Iran.' 'The world and Muslim Ummah are witnessing the slaughter of innocent children and civilians in Gaza for the last two years on an unimaginable scale,' said the resolution. The House, through its resolution, said it stands resolute with Iranian brethren and supports their right to defend themselves against Israeli aggression. Earlier, the House commenced discussion on the proposed federal budget in which senators from different political parties participated. The Senate was adjourned till Monday. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Proposed Finance bill moved in Senate
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Tuesday, moved a copy of the proposed federal budget in the Senate amidst strong protest by the opposition that dismissed the legislative draft as 'anti-poor.' In the brief Senate sitting, the finance minister laid a copy of the proposed Finance Bill 2025, shortly after presenting it in the National Assembly, in the Senate, in accordance with the relevant constitutional provisions, following which, Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani directed the senators to share their recommendations, if any, on the bill, latest by Thursday, 12 June, 5 pm. The chairman then referred the bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue with the direction to finalise its recommendations on the bill by Friday, 13 June. Amidst continued sloganeering against the proposed federal budget, the chairman Senate adjourned the House till Friday. The Upper House of the Parliament can hold extensive debate on the finance bill and devise recommendations accordingly, but it has no significant role in budgetary legislation, since it is completely up to the National Assembly to either completely or partially accept those recommendations or reject them, partially or completely. Article 73 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which deals with parliamentary business with respect to money bills, reads a money bill shall 'originate in the National Assembly: Provided that simultaneously when a money bill, including the finance bill containing the annual budget statement, is presented in the National Assembly, a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the Senate which may, within 14 days, make recommendations thereon to the National Assembly.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Chairman Senate embarks on visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani embarked on an official visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, a press release said on Friday. The visit marked a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between the two nations, the press release added. On reaching Ashgabat, Chairman Gilani was received at the airport by G. Rozye, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, and Annamuhammet Sarvjayev, Chairman of the Friendship Parliamentary Group, said the press release. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
