Senate passes SBP Amendment Bill amid ruckus

ISLAMABAD: Senate on Friday passed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Amendment Bill, with the majority, ARY News reported.

The bill was presented by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin amid ruckus in the house by the opposition members.

The SBP Amendment Bill was supported by 44 senators, while 43 voted against it.

Earlier, the federal government had sought time to present the SBP Amendment Bill in the Senate as a number of the treasury benches members missing from the session.

Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said that the bill is on the agenda of the Senate, but what he can do if the government was delaying its presentation? “It is not my duty to present the bill, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin should come back in the session,” Sanjrani said.

Meanwhile, the opposition Senators stood at their seats and chanted slogans against the government and urged the treasury benches to lay the SBP Amendment Bill before the house.

Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked the Senators to start a discussion on President Arif Alvi’s speech to the joint sitting of the Parliament, but the lawmakers denied it.

Later, Sanjrani had adjourned the important session of the Senate for 30 minutes.

Earlier, as the session started, the chairman reprimanded the members over not wearing face masks as the cases of the coronavirus have increased again. He also ordered the administration to provide the masks to everyone.