Sushma to make statement on Pakistan visit next week

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement on her recent visit to Islamabad and developments relating to India-Pakistan ties in both the houses of parliament during the next week of the winter session, an official statement said on Saturday.

Sushma Swaraj visited Islamabad on Wednesday to attend the Heart of Asia Conference. During her visit, India and Pakistan also agreed to start a comprehensive bilateral dialogue and she confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Islamabad next year to attend the Saarc summit.

Meanwhile the statement said that in the Lok Sabha, the government has proposed to take up nine items of legislative and financial business during next week. There include The Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Sugar Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The National Waterways (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill, 2015 and The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Since the commencement of this winter session on November 26, Lok Sabha has passed six bills while 6 new bills were introduced.

In Rajya Sabha, only one bill could be passed while no new bills were introduced.

In the upper house, the government has proposed to take up 16 bills including Goods and Services Tax Bill, The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities), The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, The Anti-Hijacking Bill, and The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill.