Senate passes resolution to provide COVID-19 vaccine free or at its original price

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The Senate has passed a resolution with a majority for the provision of COVID-19 vaccine free or at its original price on Monday.

The resolution urged the government to provide either free of cost anti-corona vaccine to the general public or as per original international market price.

Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety to the Prime Minister Senator Sania Nishtar called upon the entire society to combat the third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic and make vaccination drive successful.

Speaking on a resolution in Senate on Monday, she said the pandemic is a national security issue and we should deal with it keeping politics aside.

She said the government successfully dealt with the first two waves of the virus keeping in view the lives and livelihood of citizens.

Sania Nishtar said the government has fixed prices of the vaccine under Drug pricing policy in a transparent manner and as per worldwide norm, elderly people and frontline health workers are being given the vaccine on priority basis.

Senate today passed, the Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2021.

Minister for Finance Hammad Azhar moved the bill.

Four bills were also introduced in the House. These include; [The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021] (Amendment of Articles 57, 62, 72, 73, 86, 89, 126, 159, 160, 162 and 166),  [The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021], [The Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Bill, 2020], [The Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021].

The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.

Leader of the House in the Senate Shahzad Waseem has urged the opposition parties in the House to work for a unanimous stance on electoral reforms.

Speaking on the floor at the beginning of new parliamentary year of the Senate, he said electoral reforms are the only way forward in resolving issues about elections.

Shahzad Waseem said the opposition should play its constructive role for betterment in the country. He said constructive criticism is the essence of real democracy and we welcome it at every forum.

The Leader of the House expressed hope that opposition in the House will play a positive role in making the parliament more functional.

Earlier speaking in the House, opposition leader in the House Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed the resolve to work in tandem with all political parties for providing relief to the people. The House has now been prorogued.