ISLAMABAD: A 13-point agenda has been issued for the first day of the 19th session of the National Assembly beginning on Monday evening.

Besides two calling attention notices related to the ministry of health, presenting reports on four bills by the standing committee on the house are on the agenda.

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin will table the Banking Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009 seeking an amendment to the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962.

The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz plans to press for a debate on its two adjournment motions – one on the latest increase in prices of petroleum products and the other on the conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqui by a US jury.

Recent incidents of targeted killings and bomb blasts in Karachi are also expected to come up for debate.

According to the agenda, the National Assembly will resume debate on “the incident of bomb blasts and subsequent acts of arson in Boulton Market, Karachi,” on the Ashura day. The debate was sought by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement during the previous session.

The debate started on Jan 13 could not be completed despite the fact that the house remained in session for another 16 days.

The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, Dewan Ashiq Hussain Bokhari, will present reports on the National Commission for Human Development (Amendment) Bill 2007, the Federal Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2007, the National School of Public Policy (Amendment) Bill 2007 and the Patents (Second Amendment) Bill 2007.

Five members of the PPP through a calling attention notice have drawn the attention of the health minister to the issue of “non-arrangement for disposal of the waste in Islamabad hospitals”.

Through the other calling attention notice, PML-Q members would request the health minister to issue a policy statement on the “spread of swine flu and hepatitis” in the country.

The government is expected to fulfil the constitutional requirement of holding the National Assembly session for minimum 130 days in a parliamentary year starting on March 16, but it has so far remained in session for 114 days only.

Therefore, it will have to convene the NA session for another 16 days in the remaining 35 days of the current year to fulfil the constitutional requirement.
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