The upper house of the Parliament, Monday, unanimously passed the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill 2021, a private-member bill that makes it mandatory for National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to “display the consent of potential donor on national identity card for identification and apt management of transplantation of organs and tissues.”

Seemee Ezdi from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) presented the bill in the Senate session, presided over by Chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani.

Ezdi and Sana Jamali (independent) are the joint movers of the bill.

Apart from treasury members, the opposition senators including those from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP supported the bill, leading to its unanimous passage by the house.

The bill was already passed by the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

This bill seeks to amend the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 2010.

“Organ transplantation is the only option to save lives in patients affected by terminal organ failures and improve their quality of life. However, disparity exists between the supply and demand of donated organs that leads to loss of many lives,” reads the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

“The results of organ transplantation may be improved, as consequence of the innovations and improvements by prompt and timely verification and identification of donor after his/ her death. For the aforesaid purpose, the amendment in this act aims at requiring the National Database and Registration Authority to display the consent of potential donor on national identity card for identification and apt management of transplantation of organs and tissues. This bill seeks to achieve the above purpose,” the statement adds.

In addition, six private-member bills were moved in the house and referred to the relevant committees.

Those were: The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill 2022, and Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill 2022, moved by Mushtaq Ahmed from Jamaat-e-Islami; Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022, and Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022, moved by Kauda Babar (independent); Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill 2022, moved by Mohsin Aziz from PTI and Access of Media (Deaf and Dumb) Persons Bill 2022, moved by Saleem Mandviwala from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Meanwhile, the senators including Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem, Azam Tarar from PML-N, Sherry Rehman from PPP and others strongly condemned the lynching of a man by a mob in Mian Channu on the allegations of desecration of Holy Quran. The PPP senator demanded that the matter be referred to Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, which, the chairman Senate did.

Tahir Bizenjo from National Party (NP) demanded that the issue of Reko Diq be taken up in the Committee of the Whole.

However, the chair rejected this demand, saying it was a provincial matter, related to Balochistan government.

The opposition senators protested over the remarks of Parliamentary Affairs State Minister Ali Muhammad Khan that Opposition Leader Yousuf Raza Gillani was ‘missing’ from the house. “Ever since we thanked him — he is missing,” the state minister said.

Following opposition’s protest, the chair stopped Khan from continuing his speech. A few days back, federal cabinet members including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had ‘thanked’ Gillani for his support over the passage of the controversial State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2022.

The Senate also took up a motion moved by leader of the house related to recent incident of heckling of a Muslim girl wearing hijab by RSS-backed mob in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Speaking on the motion, Danesh Kumar from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) lambasted India for banning hijab in different states. “This episode has exposed the real face of the so-called secular India. The world has seen what secularism in India is all about,” he said.

Kumar said women in two Indian states Rajhasthan and Gujrat wear hijab due to cultural reasons. “If you (India) want to ban hijab, ban these two states instead of banning Muslims from wearing hijab,” he said.

Other senators including PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhary also took on India over the issue.

On Tuesday, a footage went viral on social media which featured Muskan Khan, an Indian Muslim girl who was stopped from entering her college by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) supporters for wearing hijab. Undeterred, the girl shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ after the mob continued to chant slogans against her and heckled her.

The young student has earned worldwide acclamation for her bravery and courage shown against Hindutva supporters with many lauding her act.

The house was adjourned till Thursday.

This report was first published in Business Recorder on February 15, 2022.