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Business Recorder
08-08-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2025 considered in detail
ISLAMABAD: The meeting of the Standing Committee on Petroleum Division of the National Assembly was held here on Friday under the chairmanship of Syed Mustafa Mehmood. The chairman attended the meeting from abroad and, after commencing the proceedings, sought permission to leave. Subsequently, the committee, unanimously, elected Syed Naveed Qamar, to preside over the remainder of the meeting under rule-216 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. At the outset, the committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on 22nd May 2025 and extended a warm welcome to the federal minister for Petroleum Division, members of the committee, and officials from various divisions, and departments for their participation. The committee then considered in detail the Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill) and recommended its passage by the National Assembly with amendments. The sub-committee was constituted under the convener-ship of Syed Naveed Qamar submitted its report to the main Standing Committee, which adopted it and recommended that its proposals be forwarded to the Petroleum Division for further necessary action. The Sub-Committee comprised Syed Naveed Qamar, Asad Alam Niazi, Muhammad Moin Aamer Pirzada and Gul Asghar Khan. Its Terms of Reference were to discuss and formulate new guidelines for the efficient utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, Production Bonuses, and Training Funds for capacity-building, with the objective of ensuring transparency and providing relief to local communities. The meeting was attended by members of the National Assembly, including Anwarul Haq Chaudhary, Shaista Khan, Syed Naveed Qamar, Asad Alam Niazi, Salahuddin Junejo, Shahid Ahmad, and Shazia Marri (as Special Invitee). Senior officials present included Momin Agha, secretary Petroleum Division; Mahfooz Bhatti, additional secretary (Power Division); Jam Muhammad Aslam, additional draftsman/joint secretary Ministry of Law and Justice along with other senior officials. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
CBC
07-08-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ministers reflect on all 3 summits with Indigenous leaders on Bill C-5
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty speak to reporters on Thursday in Ottawa after a summit with Métis leaders. It's the third such summit with Indigenous leaders on the government's major projects bill and the ministers say they've heard there is a 'desire to define where they want to be in the economic space.'
Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Taoiseach hits out at antisemitism claims over Israel and Occupied Territories Bill
Mr Martin - speaking in Cork - also warned that there was absolutely no suggestion that Ireland was proposing any form of boycott on Israel amid intensifying criticism of Ireland in the US. He stressed that Ireland's position is that it wants the Israeli hostages returned safely by Hamas, Hamas to disband and a ceasefire to be declared in Gaza to allow for talks about a permanent end to the violence and for a peaceful settlement to be reached. However, Ireland has taken a strong stance on illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank. Mr Martin's comments came after Mr Shatter, a former Fine Gael justice minister, slated the Government Bill in the Oireachtas - and a senior US ambassador criticised Ireland's position on the issue. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slated the Occupied Territories Bill and warned Ireland to "sober up." "Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness," he posted on Twitter. The diplomat said the Bill was "so stupid" it smacked of "diplomatic intoxication." The Taoiseach stressed that people needed to focus on the ongoing loss of life in Gaza and across the Middle East. "The Irish people are appalled by what is happening in Gaza and indeed across the West Bank,' he said. "People I meet cannot understand the continued slaughter of children. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "Only in the last 48 hours a church was attacked, a Catholic Church was attacked and innocent people were killed. The war needs to stop. Hostages need to be released and the political process and a massive surge in humanitarian aid needs to be facilitated. "The International Court of Justice (position) in terms of the illegality of the occupied territories is clear. Ireland has also always worked through the prism of international humanitarian law. The objective is to try to put pressure on Israel to stop the war. "We (Ireland) sanctioned Hamas. Rightly so. And we believe that Hamas should disband and should get off the stage to enable a Government to be formed or an administration to be formed in Gaza and security guarantees given to Israel in any future settlement. "But the war is no longer in any shape or form justifiable and the continued killing of people and illegal occupation must be recognised. "That said - and I have said this in terms of because people have raised the issue of services - and I have consistently said over the last two to three weeks that in terms of services that could create difficulties for multinationals based in Ireland from the US. "Because the US has boycotted divestment legislation. And the perception over there is that they don't draw the same differentiation as the international community does in terms of the illegaly occupied territories and Israel proper. "The Occupied Territories Bill does not in any shape or form propose a boycott of trade between Israel and Ireland but rather between trade with the occupied territories. "That is an issue and does need consideration. And I have made that point repeatedly that it does need to be factored into the issue of the inclusion of services. "I think there are different perspectives around the world in respect of the Middle East. The US has been strong supporters of Israel. We acknowledge that. "At the last EU Council meeting almost every country wanted the war to stop. Every country accepted the catastrophe that Gaza now is. There is a need to stop the war. Ireland has a clear position in terms of international humanitarian law. "We came under huge pressure on Syria for example when we were on the (UN) Security Council to facilitate the humanitarian corridors on Syria. Likewise on Ethiopia. We have always stood up for what is right and proper within international humanitarian law. "We are very concerned in terms of the breakdown of the rules based order. There is a need for all countries to reflect on what is happening. Because countries cannot be breaching international humanitarian law. And there is no question in Gaza that that law has been breached on countless occasions.' Mr Martin said Ireland would adopt a principled stance but would not undermine the country's global position. "We don't want in any way to undermine Ireland. The purpose of the exercise is not that Ireland would suffer unduly in respect of this. It is interesting that across Europe now there is an issue about the compatibility of how the European Union approaches this and the decision of the ICJ in respect of the occupied territories in Palestine,' he said. Mr Martin hit out at comments from Mr Shatter about the proposed new legislation. "What I would reject very strongly is any suggestion that there is any hint of antisemitism in terms of the Irish position," he said. "I think that was wrongly presented by former Minister (Alan) Shatter in his presentation to the Oireachtas committee. "I was dismayed at the language he used. It was false language and it was a very false presentation. "There are efforts abroad to undermine the integrity of Ireland's position, to misrepresent Ireland's position. We are conscious of that. We will always work to protect our economic interests and the national interest." He also rejected suggestions Ireland could be economically targeted by the US over its diplomatic stance. "That has not been mooted. I think there is a broader European-US negotiation going on in terms of tariffs,' he said. "Those negotiations are tough and as you know we have until August 1 to resolve it. That is the context on which tariffs will be discussed and now an individual member state basis."
CBC
16-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
AFN national chief holds news conference in Ottawa
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak holds a news conference in Ottawa the day before First Nations' leaders summit with the prime minister about the government's major projects bill.
North Wales Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Irish Government to draft Bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements
Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris received Cabinet approval to draft the law on Tuesday. It is understood the Government Bill will ban the trade of goods but not services as the basis in EU law is much weaker for services than it is for goods. The Government has opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018. The Government has said there is 'a narrow pathway', based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which it deemed illegal. Mr Harris said that the Government had 'not yet been able to identify the narrow pathway on services' but that there is a legal 'pathway' to ban the trade of goods. He said he believed Ireland would become the first country in the western world to consider such legislation and said he hoped it would encourage other countries to do likewise. Speaking on RTE's Six One News, Mr Harris claimed there was 'no policy difference' between himself and Senator Frances Black, who had brought forward a Bill that would also include services. He said: 'I want to do everything humanly possible to help maximise the pressure for a ceasefire and an end to the violence and the war crimes that are happening in Gaza. 'But what I also want to make sure is that the Bill doesn't fall at the first legal hurdle and I want to produce legislation that's impactful, that could inspire other European nations to join us as well in bringing forward similar legislation. 'And at the moment, the legal opinion that I have is that it's impossible to do goods under EU law because of the ICJ judgments, but it may not be in relation to services.' However, the Tanaiste said he 'would like to be proven wrong' if there is a pathway on services. Irish premier Micheal Martin told the Dail parliament that there is 'very little' trade between Ireland and the occupied territories but said the ban was an important symbolic move. He was responding to questions from Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney who said that the Dail was 'running out of time' to pass the goods ban before the summer recess. 'Just for the record, there is no major trade between Ireland and the occupied territories, there is very little actually,' Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Tuesday. He added: 'But that's not the point, the point is it is a symbolic move and that is important in itself.' In relation to Sinn Fein's Bill that aims to give Ireland's Finance Minister the powers to impose restrictive measures on securities issued by or on behalf of Israel, the Government said the proposals were 'unworkable'. Mr Martin said the legislation proposed by Sinn Fein was 'simply unworkable' and 'has been written in a manner that in no shape or form could ever be made workable'. He said it does not focus on Israel 'at all' and said the review of the EU-Israel Association could have a 'far greater influence'. A Government spokesperson said the proposed Sinn Fein Bill was asking for an activity that does not take place in Ireland – Israeli bonds are not listed on the Irish Stock Exchange nor are they available to purchase through any regulated entity in the State – to end. The spokesperson said that the Bill does not prevent securities or bonds from the Israeli state being issued nor does it prevent Israel from raising money by selling bonds.
