Govt Rushes Commerce Bills Through Committees in a Day, PTA Law Hits Political Resistance
The government moved multiple key pieces of legislation through National Assembly standing committees in rapid succession on the same day, prompting questions inside Parliament over haste, limited consultation, and uneven handling of controversial bills.
On Monday, the Standing Committee on Commerce cleared two major bills, the Export Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the National Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in a single sitting. Both bills were tabled, discussed, amended, and unanimously approved within hours, and parliamentary sources confirmed that the legislation was immediately lined up for presentation in the National Assembly.
Members present during the commerce committee meeting included was attended by MNAs, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Ms. Kiran Haider, Mr. Asad Alam Niazi, Mr. Gul Asghar Khan, and Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani in person and Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Mr. Farhan Chishti, Choudhary Iftikhar Nazir and Mr. Muhammad Numan attended the meeting Virtually. Proposed amendments to the Export Development Fund bill, which were adopted before its approval. No formal objections were recorded at the committee stage, allowing the bills to move forward the same day.
Concerns over speed and procedure were also raised by Asad Alam Niazi, who questioned why significant legislative proposals were being brought to committees at short notice during an active session, leaving limited time for members to study the text or consult their parties. He warned that fast tracking sensitive legislation could undermine parliamentary oversight.
In contrast, the Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, meeting on the same day, faced resistance while taking up the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re organization) (Amendment) Bill. The bill, which includes provisions related to regulatory authority, right-of-way powers, and penalties, did not move forward at the same pace.
Pakistan Peoples Party member Dr. Sharmila Faruqui cautioned against rushing the PTA related amendments, stating that the bill had not yet been reviewed or approved by her party’s parliamentary legislative committee. She emphasized that proceeding without internal party clearance could create difficulties when the bill reaches the National Assembly floor.
Government representatives defended the pace by citing external pressures, including economic and administrative considerations, but the differing outcomes of the two committee meetings highlighted a growing divide. While commerce related legislation sailed through committee and was positioned for same day movement in the Assembly, the PTA amendment encountered political resistance and now faces the possibility of being deferred to a future session.
Parliamentary observers note that the developments have reinforced perceptions that the government is attempting to push selected legislation through Parliament at speed, even as coalition partners signal the need for greater consultation on bills with wider regulatory and political implications.
