The federal government decides that proposed changes will be introduced in parliament in the form of a bill
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, announces 150 buses to Karachi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a summary to the President advising the withdrawal of the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, invoking Article 89(1). 2, letter b) of the constitution, it appeared on Monday.
The decision was taken after it emerged that the regulation had been issued despite lacking the president’s formal signature.
According to sources, the Prime Minister has signed the summary and recommends that the regulation be withdrawn.
The development comes after objections raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which had staged a boycott of the National Assembly session when the ordinance was announced.
With the withdrawal now underway, the federal government has decided that the proposed changes will be tabled in Parliament in the form of a bill.
Law Ministry sources said six bills and one executive order had earlier been sent to the President through the e-Office system, under which summaries and files are approved electronically.
Through the same system, the presidency gave collective approval to the legislative proposals and the executive order, after which the executive order was issued.
But when the files were returned from the Presidency, it was found that the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance did not bear the President’s signature. Union Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar explained that the approval process was done through e-Office where files are processed online.
He said the order had also been approved through this system and was being treated as approved from staff to staff.
But when the signed files were later received, it was clear that the ordinance had not been signed by the president, even though it had already been printed and announced.
Tarar said the omission was a mistake, which was subsequently corrected.
