ISLAMABAD: At least half a dozen most important committees of the National Assembly exist only in name as they haven’t held even a single worthwhile meeting since their establishment several months ago. As per the available agenda for these House bodies, they have meaningful work to do, but are in suspended animation for different reasons specifically a casual approach by those who form part of them.The heads of the parliamentary parties and other members of the National Assembly sit on these key committees. Hardly anyone of them has ever spoken of convening their meetings to take up the actual assignments they are supposed to dispose of and for which they were created. One of the House bodies is the 13-member special committee of the parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly on conduct headed by Speaker Asad Qaisar. The speaker had structured it to ensure smooth proceedings and avert frequent intense uproar on the floor. After its construction, Asad Qaisar did not consider its efficacy consequential and never convened its session.All the top parliamentary players figure in this special committee. They include Prime Minister Imran Khan, leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supremo Asif Ali Zardari. In addition, Ataullah Mengal, Amir Haider Azam Hoti, Sheikh Rashid, Asad Mahmood, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ghous Bux Mahar, Khalid Maqbool Sididqui, Shah Zain Bugti and Khalid Hussain Magsi also are its members.The prime idea of the speaker, while constituting this committee was to have even bitterly opposed parliamentary leaders sit together to alleviate the acrimony and infuse sanity in the House proceedings so that meaningful business can be conducted. Not a single meeting of it was ever held as the speaker has not deemed it proper to call it. It was believed that Asad Qaisar set up the special committee after consulting the prime minister.Another forum is the 12-member parliamentary committee on appointment of the chief election commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), chaired by Human Rights Minister Dr Shirin Mazari. Long time ago, two ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan retired, creating the vacancies, which, under the Constitution, are to be filled as a result of consultations between the prime minister and leader of the opposition. They exchanged at least three letters to make the nominations.After the last communication from Shahbaz Sharif in April in response to the one from Imran Khan, containing names of the preferences, nothing is heard about it. As this process was completed, the prime minister was expected to forward six names from the two lists to the parliamentary committee to pick up the two choices for as many posts. This is going to be the first job that parliamentary committee will have if the names are sent to it.The third non-functional House body is the 30-member parliamentary committee on general elections, 2018. It was constituted on the insistence of the opposition, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), opting for leaders from all the parties, to look into allegations of manipulation and rigging in the parliamentary polls. It held a couple of perfunctory meetings in the first few weeks of its conception but as expected they were marred by differences and disagreements between the ruling coalition and opposition members. After the government side stressed that no parliamentary committee can probe the general elections as per the Constitution, it stopped holding even superficial sessions. It failed to even formulate its terms of reference as differences cropped up over them.The 26-member parliamentary committee on national security is also totally dysfunctional. It has been treated so inconsequential that even its head has not so far been chosen. Some senators were also inducted in it so that it can have discussion on premier national security issues and get briefing from relevant officials on the subject. Then, there is the 14-member parliamentary committee on China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) headed by Sher Ali Arbab, which is also yet to hold even its inaugural meeting since its formation.Not only this committee has ever got a briefing on the CPEC, which are known as the game-changer for Pakistan, from the relevant ministries, but no other parliamentary forum has been informed about the progress and state of mega projects after the present government came in place.Nothing is also heard about the activities of the 4-member parliamentary committee on appointment of chairperson and members of the National Commission for Human Rights, led by Ms Shunila Ruth, and 12-member parliamentary committee on appointment of the chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, led by Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani.However, the non-ministerial Business Advisory Committee, chaired by the speaker, regularly meets before every National Assembly session, but what is agreed between the government and opposition to keep calm and maintain normalcy in the House is never followed. Both sides accuse each other of transgressing the agreement.This kind of violation reflects the general political animosity and confrontation gripping the two sides. The business advisory committee will also hold the usual pre-session meeting on June 11 before the presentation of the federal budget, and it will be seen how far and whether or not the agreement reached there would be adhered to.
from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2IrbmcE
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