Senate adopts ‘Biological & Toxins Weapons' bill

ISLAMABAD: The Senate, Tuesday, passed the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (Implementation) Bill, 2025, a government legislative draft, that seeks to ensure Pakistan's compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
Law Minister Azam Tarar presented the bill in the Senate session presided over by Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan that was passed by the House.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, Pakistan is a signatory to the BWC which was adopted in 1972.
Pakistan signed it in the same year and ratified it in 1974.
'It is important to highlight that this bill will establish bodies and mechanisms to ensure compliance with the BWC in Pakistan,' says the Statement of Objects and Reasons of this bill.
The bill envisages the establishment of an institutional mechanism to implement provisions of the BWC.
The House passed another legislative draft; the National Commission for Minorities' Rights Bill, 2025, also moved by the law minister.
The bill provides for the establishment of a national commission to ensure the protection of the rights of minorities in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Senate concluded debate on escalated tension between India and Pakistan.
Winding up the discussion, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said, Pakistan would not resort to start the war with India first, but 'there would be tit for tat response in case of any misadventure by India.'
He said India cannot unilaterally revoke Indus Waters Treaty. 'Such agreements cannot be revoked unless both parties agree,' he said.
'We suspect that India staged this entire drama to revoke the Indus Waters Treaty,' Dar said.
He said China and Turkiye have extended their support to Pakistan in the wake of confrontation with India.
In this context, he said, contacts have also been made with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hungary and Azerbaijan.
Earlier, Aon Abbas Buppi from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded convening an all-parties conference to forge national unity amidst ongoing tension with India.
'To show national unity—that we are on the same page—Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari – all should sit together to give a loud and clear message.'
Abbas said the world would start 'trembling… seeing this kind of national unity.'
'You bring Imran Khan here, no power would dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan,' the PTI senator said.
He took on Zardari and Sharif for not giving any public statement in the existing situation.
Raja Nasir Abbas from Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) said India wants to isolate Pakistan on all fronts.
'In response, we bring PECA Act, strangulate our media. India is uniting its people, making popular government, their system is protecting popular leadership—different countries have supported India due to Modi's foreign policy — and we...where do we stand? Where is our foreign policy, diplomacy, media war?'
Abbas demanded that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other responsible government officials brief the Parliament on the matter.
'Get Imran Khan out of jail. Only he can counter Modi. He is the person who can deal with internal and external challenges,' the senator said.
Other senators from different political parties also shared their views regarding escalated hostility between India and Pakistan.
The Senate session was prorogued.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Express Tribune

15 hours ago

• Express Tribune

Senate rejects 18% tax on solar panels

Listen to article The Senate has approved with a majority vote the report of its standing committee on finance—rejecting an 18% tax on solar panels, sales tax on homeopathic items and stationery, and tariffs on the steel sector. In its report, presented in the upper house of parliament on Saturday, the committee also opposed increased taxation on 800cc vehicles, suggesting a 12.5% cap. It proposed no increase in tax on print media and IT services and urged that taxes on services falling under provincial jurisdiction be reconsidered. It also called for a review and further increase in government employees' salaries. The committee also proposed setting the minimum wage at Rs40,000 or Rs50,000 and exempting income tax for monthly salaries up to Rs100,000. The Senate session began under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar. During the session, Senate Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla, presented the report containing the budget proposals and recommendations. Earlier, Senate Leader of Opposition Shibli Faraz objected that the report had not been presented to them earlier and questioned how a 100-page document could be read and reviewed in 10 minutes. He criticized the government for not reducing its expenditures and instead taxing those already burdened with taxes. Responding to the criticism, Senator Mandviwalla stated that he had remained in contact with Shibli and Mohsin Aziz of the PTI. He said all parties, including the PML-N, the PPP, and the PTI, participated in the discussions, offered suggestions, and voiced their concerns. He said the committee staff worked till 2 am and while the draft may not have been shared due to an oversight, all recommendations in the final version reflected the committee's discussions. Concluding the budget debate, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb acknowledged the valuable, balanced, and constructive input provided by senators over the past one and a half weeks. He said this consultation helped guide the government's economic policies and reinforced its commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable development. "During the past fiscal year, no mini-budget was introduced, inflation was brought under control, foreign reserves increased, and the current account improved significantly," he added. He announced tax relief for salaried individuals earning between Rs600,000 and Rs1.2 million annually by reducing the income tax rate from 2.5% to 1%. This, he said, was a symbolic and practical gesture to show that the government does not wish to overburden the middle class. He also announced a 10% increase in government employees' salaries and a 7% raise in pensions. Taxes on agricultural pesticides were removed, and, following the prime minister's direction, 1,000 graduates would be sent to China for further opportunities. Regarding solar panels, the finance minister said the proposed 18% sales tax on imported parts was meant to protect local industry and create a competitive environment for solar technology investment in Pakistan. However, after consultation, the government decided to reduce the tax to 10%, applicable only to 46% of imported components, resulting in a 4.6% price hike for imported panels. He warned against profiteering, noting that some opportunistic elements had already begun increasing prices before the tax's implementation. He assured that the government would take strict legal action against such exploitation in the public interest. Aurangzeb said the relief and social protection measures included in the 2025-26 budget are not merely temporary reliefs but a practical reflection of the state's recognition and acceptance of its responsibilities. "A key measure is the increase in the budget of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) from Rs592 billion to Rs716 billion. "Expanding the scope of financial assistance under BISP reflects the government's commitment to providing economic protection to the most vulnerable segments of society," he added.

Express Tribune

15 hours ago

• Express Tribune

PPP straddles the fence on ally's hybrid model claims

Listen to article The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), once a fierce critic of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for claiming to be "on the same page" with the establishment, now finds itself in a rather awkward silence after its key ally in the ruling alliance not only admitted to the existence of a hybrid model but appeared to wear the newfound power-sharing arrangement with the military as a badge of honour. The recent confession by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif – about what has long been an open secret – has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: the PML-N-led government is now openly conceding to operating under a power-sharing arrangement with the military. Asif not only just lifted the curtain but drew it wide open, calling the current setup "exemplary". What raised more than a few eyebrows was Asif's thinly veiled dig at his own party leader Nawaz Sharif. He even went on to say that Sharif's failure to implement such a hybrid model in the 1990s led to his early political exits – twice. The remark effectively undercuts Nawaz Sharif's oft-repeated claim that he was shown the door for "serving the country", making his once-defiant slogan "Mujhe Kyun Nikala" (why was I removed?) ring hollow. The PPP, which once rode the moral high horse in its opposition to military interference in civilian rule, now seems to have bitten its tongue. Its leaders, who once fired on all cylinders against PTI's so-called hybrid rule, suddenly appear to be walking on eggshells. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari not only coined the term "puppet PM" for Imran Khan but later wore that verbal jab as a political trophy, priding in having popularised the phrase during the waning days of the PTI government. Ironically, the PPP, formerly the loudest critic of the hybrid model, now appears at a loss for words about a system they themselves are actively part of. When asked to comment on Khawaja Asif's remarks, Chaudhry Manzoor, a PPP leader from Punjab, deflected, saying the question should instead be directed to the PML-N. When it was pointed out that the PPP had been vocally critical of such arrangements in the past, and now that its ally has openly admitted to it – thus making PPP complicit – he responded, "Unfortunately, I have neither listened to the interview nor do I have any knowledge about it". Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, when approached for comment, questioned whether anything Khawaja Asif said was actually new. "Wasn't this known to everyone all along?" he asked. When queried whether the PPP was now comfortable being part of a hybrid model, Kaira said he could not speak on behalf of the party and would need to consult the leadership to clarify their position. He also dodged the question regarding the PPP's historical criticism of hybrid arrangements, saying that only the party could take an official stance. Attempts to reach the party's Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan and PPP leader from Sindh, Shazia Marri, for comments were unsuccessful.

Express Tribune

15 hours ago

• Express Tribune

FO assails Amit Shah for 'weaponising water'

Listen to article Pakistan on Saturday slammed India's Home Minister Amit Shah's "brazen disregard" for international agreements after the latter said New Delhi would never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Islamabad. "We will take water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably," Shah said in an interview with Times of India on Saturday. Responding to Shah's comments, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said they reflected "a brazen disregard for the sanctity of international agreements" and noted that the IWT is an apolitical agreement without provisions for unilateral action. India put into "abeyance" its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, after 26 civilians in IIOJK were killed. "India's illegal announcement to hold the treaty in abeyance constitutes a clear violation of international law, the provisions of the treaty itself, and the fundamental principles governing inter-state relations," the Foreign Office stated. "Such conduct sets a reckless and dangerous precedent — one that undermines the credibility of international agreements and raises serious questions about the reliability and trustworthiness of a state that openly refuses to fulfil its legal obligations." The statement added that "weaponising water for political ends" is irresponsible and contrary to the behaviour of a responsible state. It demanded that India immediately restore the full implementation of the IWT. "For its part, Pakistan remains firmly committed to the treaty and will take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and entitlements under it," the statement concluded. The latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, have dimmed Islamabad's hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term. Last month, Reuters reported that India plans to dramatically increase the water it draws from a major river that feeds Pakistani farms downstream, as part of retaliatory action. "No, it will never be restored," Shah told The Times of India earlier today. "We will take water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably." The latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, reveal Delhi's intentions as Islamabad hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.