LAHORE, Nov 19: Nine ordinances promulgated under the Provisional Constitutional Order during the Musharraf regime became laws when Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer endorsed the bills on Thursday. These bills were passed by the provincial assembly in its 15th session.

Former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf had imposed Emergency Plus on Nov 3, 2007 and promulgated a PCO and amended the Constitution to add Article 270-AAA to it for giving legal cover to the ordinances promulgated during the ‘mini martial law’.

However, the Supreme Court in its July 31, 2009 verdict declared the Emergency Plus and order measures unconstitutional and illegal and directed endorsement of the ordinances promulgated during the period from relevant assembly.

The verdict also covered nine of the ordinances promulgated by the Punjab governor, making the provincial government table these before the Punjab Assembly to make laws for covering the measures taken under the ordinances.

The enactments included: the Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009; the Punjab Regulatory Authority Act, 2009; the Punjab Govern-ment Employees Welfare Fund (Amendment) Act, 2009; the Punjab Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 2009; the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Act, 2009; the Punjab Katchi Abadis (Amendment) Act, 2009; the Hi-Tech University of Taxila Punjab Act, 2009; the Provincial Motor Vehicles (First Amendment) Act, 2009; and the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Act, 2009.

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