ISLAMABAD: Over the issue of Foreigners buying land in Pakistan, Federalgovernment mulls important legislation.
Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice in its meeting on Thursdaydiscussed ‘The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (insertion of Article253A) introduced by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed regarding permission toforeigners to purchase land in any part of Pakistan.
The committee members were of the view that this should be brought as anindependent law and not as a constitutional amendment so that theconstitutional amendment would not be disturbed.
The Committee members sought information as to what is the currentmechanism of granting permission to foreign nationals or foreign companiesand it was subsequently decided to call Secretary Interior, provincialBoards of Revenue, Board of Investment and SECP to next meeting to discusswhether it falls under federal or provincial domain and how many foreignerscurrently have land in Pakistan.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Muhammad JavedAbbasi at the Parliament House and was attended by the Senators MusadikMalik, Mushtaq Ahmed, Dr. Ghous Niazi, Mushahidullah Khan, Sana Jamali,Mian Ateeq Sheikh, and officials from the ministries of Law and Justice,National Health Services and Regulations and State Life InsuranceCorporation.
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While discussing ‘The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues(Amendment) Bill, 2018 introduced by Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Sheikh,the Committee was told by NADRA that a chip could be installed in theNational Identity Card which would be indicative of the fact that the ownerhad expressed his or her will to donate organs. However, the Committeemembers asked NADRA to come up in the next meeting with a simpler mechanismwhich was easier to comprehend by the general people.
This bill was reported by the Standing Committee on National HealthServices, Regulation and Coordination and has also received approval ofCouncil of Islamic Ideology and Federal Shariat Court.
Regarding the matter of sit-in of the employees of State Life InsuranceCorporation for their demands, the Committee heard the General Manager ofthe Corporation and decided to call ministry of Commerce and SECP todiscuss the matter.
