President Dr. Arif Alvi called the National Assembly to enact a measure amending the Foreign Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act to appease disgruntled coalition allies. Senate passed the bill.
Parliament will meet on Dec. 20. Sources say the administration may delay it again since it May be convening.
The government had to present the amendment bill seeking to limit the law’s scope to the Reko Diq project in the Senate despite getting it approved last week from both houses of parliament after two of its main allies protested over it, and the former was reportedly considering quitting the eight-month-old coalition.
Section 1(2) of the original draught, forced through parliament on Dec. 12 despite BNP-M and JUI-F protests, declared that [the law] “would cover all of Pakistan.” But, after “Pakistan,” the Senate added, “but for Balochistan, it shall only apply to the qualified investment of Reko Diq project as indicated in schedules and annexures of this Act.”
Both houses of parliament passed the law on Dec. 12, clearing the door for a mining project settlement.
As the Senate-passed measure was ready to be submitted to the National Assembly, BNP-M head Sardar Akhtar Mengal protested, alleging that no government has considered Balochistan a part of Pakistan but benefited from its riches.
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