Two government bills - Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill and Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill passed the Senate smoothly.
The Senate on Friday successfully passed two key government bills - the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill, 2026, and the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The passage of these bills was followed by a referral of four other bills to relevant standing committees for further deliberation.
Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal moved the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill, 2026 in the Senate. He requested that the bill be passed without referring it to the standing committee, citing its detailed discussion by the National Assembly committee. Mustafa Kamal also urged members of the House to support the bill, noting that amendments could be introduced later.
Chairman Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti and Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan also supported passing the bill without referral. Sherry Rehman, who was presiding over the session, put the bill to a vote. Fourteen members voted in favor of passing the bill without referring it to the committee, while 13 members supported sending it to the committee for further review.
The statement of objects and reasons for the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill highlights that previous governing laws were unable to address serious governance, administrative, and financial challenges faced by the council. The body became dysfunctional due to internal disputes, litigation, and allegations of inefficiency and misconduct, leading to a severe backlog in registration and licensing processes.
The bill aims to restore effective regulation, ensure transparency, and align the nursing and midwifery profession with international standards. It seeks to reconstitute the council with balanced representation from public, private, and professional sectors, introduce supervisory oversight by the Ministry of National Health Services, and ensure financial transparency through audits conducted by registered chartered accountant firms.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Bilal Azhar Kayani moved four other bills in the Senate: the Netting of Financial Arrangements Bill, 2026; the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Islamabad Capital Territory Condominium (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026. These bills were referred to relevant standing committees for detailed discussion.
Bilal Azhar Kayani also laid before the Senate a copy of the Money Bill to further amend the Customs Act, 1969 - the Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2026 - as required under Article 73 of the Constitution. The presiding officer referred this bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, asking members to submit their recommendations by Monday.
The passage of these bills underscores the government's commitment to improving governance in healthcare and enhancing financial regulations within the country.
