On Monday, The National Assembly on its opening day of its new session witnessed a legal and technical debate on the issue of government’s powers to bypass parliament and make changes in the country’s tax laws through a presidential ordinance fear the opposition protested over the recently promulgated Tax Laws [Second Amendment] Ordinance 2021, terming it unconstitutional and a breach of the parliament’s privilege.
While the opposition lawmakers asked the government to immediately withdraw the ordinance, a number of cabinet members defended the law, saying it has done nothing unconstitutional and that the opposition members are wrongly interpreting Article 73 of the Constitution which states that “a money bill shall only be originated in the National Assembly”.
It was after listening to the arguments from both sides and even giving his ruling in favour of the government that Speaker Asad Qaiser later invited legal experts from both the government and opposition sides to have further deliberation on the matter, declaring that he will not let the Constitution be violated.
Also protesting over convening of the assembly session in haste and at a time when the country had been witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, the opposition later successfully foiled the government’s attempt to present three resolutions seeking extension of another 120 days for the three ordinances which are set to lapse in the first week of April.
