When Nafisa Shah of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) presented the Bill, which has already been adopted by Senate, in the National Assembly, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said that there is already a ban on government servants in the Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1964. He said that no government servant can get a job in any international organisations or run business in a foreign country. However, he said that such restrictions should be placed on all public institutions.
Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said the government should not oppose the bill, because there is a difference between a rule and a law. He said that this law is not for any specific party but for the people of Pakistan. He said that a bureaucrat goes on long leave after he gets a job in an international organisation while his/her seat remains vacant, which is harmful for the country. He said that the Bill should be referred to three joint committees proposed by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani. He said the Bill is in favour of the government and its passage should not face hurdles.
Nafisa Shah said that a post of a bureaucrat remains vacant for as many as 10 to 15 years after he or she has secured a job in a foreign agency; this divides one's loyalty. It is an important legislation and the government should not oppose it, she added.
Naveed Qamar of PPP also said that he is unable to understand why the government is opposing a Bill which is clearly in its favour. Criticising the upper house of parliament, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid said that Senate opposes even those bills that are unanimously passed by the National Assembly.
Khursheed Shah said the National Assembly should not create an impression that the Parliament stands divided. He said that as many as 137 bills were passed by PPP government while the current PML-N government carried out only 5 legislations in one and a half years. Dr Farooq Sattar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) also said it should be applied on all the public institutions. He said that the Bill should be referred to the concerned Committee.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed took a similar stance. Afterwards, Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi referred the Bill to the concerned standing committee for a further discussion. According to the Bill, a new section shall be inserted after section 10 of Civil Servant Act, 1973, namely: "10 A. Restriction on Service in International Organisations.- A Civil Servant shall not serve an international Organisation, International Non-Governmental Organisation, International Financial Institution or Foreign Donor Agency during his service Provided that the aforesaid restriction shall not apply to the Civil Servant who is posted or deputed in International Organisations on behalf of the country."
According to the objects and reasons of the Bill, "a Civil Servant who is in the Service of Pakistan must have undivided loyalty to the State of Pakistan. Therefore, when a Pakistani Civil Servant takes leave of absence from his official duties from the Government and starts working for international organisations while continuing to be a Civil Servant of the State of Pakistan, it is tantamount to a conflict of interest. He can misuse his concurrent Government position to influence policies and negotiate agreements with the Government of Pakistan in favour of the international partners and international organisations rather than the State of Pakistan. This Bill seeks to ensure that this practice of "outsourcing" Pakistani Civil Servants to International Organisations ceases, and they serve the State of Pakistan only in, their official capacity."