<\/p>\n
ISLAMABAD: Yet another bill, which was passed by both houses of parliament months ago, has gone missing, it has emerged.<\/p>\n
A calling attention not\u00adice submitted with the Senate Secretariat, bearing the signatures of PPP Senators Saleem Mandvi\u00adwala and Taj Haider, a copy of which is available with Dawn<\/em>, invites the attention of the federal minister for parliamentary affairs to\u00adwards the non-approval of \u201cThe Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill, 2023\u201d.<\/p>\n The bill was passed by the National Assembly on July 27 and transmitted to the Senate on July 30, 2023.<\/p>\n It was passed by the Senate on August 7 and forwarded to the ministry of parliamentary affairs for onward transmission to the prime minister and then to the president for approval.<\/p>\n However, the bill could not become an act of parliament, and it is not known where it got stuck.<\/p>\n The latest bill aims to pro\u00adtect the family life of government employees by absorbing those working under the administrative co\u00adn\u00adtrol of the federal dire\u00adc\u00adtorate of education, ensu\u00adr\u00ading the protection of family as provided in articles 25, 34 and 35 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says the preamble, read with clause (3) of Article 25, guarantees social and economic rights and social justice for the protection of women, family life and children.<\/p>\n It says Article 34 emphasises the full participation of women in national life, and Article 35 is about protection of family, which is not possible unless a conducive working environment is provided to spouses during their economic struggle by their participation in national life.<\/p>\n However, it says that spouses face hardships when, due to their employment or residential problems, they are forced to live separately in different cities, which is not only economically unfeasible but also creates challenges for the growth of children and their educational opportunities.\u201c<\/p>\n It says there was a wedlock policy of the federal government that ensured the transfer and posting of spouses at the same station during their employment postings.<\/p>\n However, this policy deprived them of their professional and career progression and growth, as they faced the threat of repatriation to their parent departments due to constraints related to posting or transfer on a deputation basis although it was a distinct situation when the other spouse was employed in or a resident of the Islamabad Capital Territory.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore, it is necessary to provide an opportunity to spouses who are serving under the administrative control of the Federal Directorate of Education for their absorption, if so interested, after their long posting or service in the Islamabad Capital Territory, on one-time basis,\u201d it reads.<\/p>\n It also refers to Clause (3) of Article 25 of the Constitution, which provides for an exceptional treatment in such circumstances.<\/p>\n Earlier, a bill moved by PML-N Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui had disappeared after being passed by both houses of the parliament.<\/p>\n