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Thursday March 28, 2024

Corruption and politics can’t go together: NA speaker

By Asim Yasin, Tahir Khalil & Arshad Waheed Chaudhry
September 26, 2018

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser Tuesday said he will follow the parliamentary tradition of appointment of Opposition Leader in the NA as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In a panel Interview with The News, Jang and Geo News here at the Parliament House, the NA Speaker said the time has come that all the state institutions should go for new social contract for creating the national consensus on the national issues.

In his first ever interview to any media house after being elected as the NA Speaker, Qaiser shared his vision to turn into the NA into real voice of the people rather than keeping it as a debating club, and to ensure the supremacy of the Parliament where all the national issues be discussed to create national harmony.

Qaiser was of view that there was a need for legislation to eradicate corruption as he believes that corruption and politics could not go together. “I also believe that corruption in politics is a tantamount to high treason,” he said.

He termed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative to allocate Prime Minister Question Hour in the NA for him to respond to the queries of legislators as a ‘bold initiative’ saying that the Parliament would be strengthened with this act. “The Parliament always gets strengthened when the Prime Minister is present in the Parliament. The Parliament will also strengthened when the government will take it seriously,” he said.

Qaiser believes that the time has come for politicians to move forward with collective thinking rather than individual thinking to take the country onto the path of development. “There should be a national agenda on the matters of national security, economy, water security, energy and on education,” he said.

He said he held initial talks with major opposition parties including the PML-N, PPP, MMA and other parties for creating consensus on national issues. “I have planned that once the Finance Bill is approved from the National Assembly, I will bring national issues for debate in the House to create consensus on the national issues,” he said.

The NA Speaker shared his view on relations with Afghanistan saying that he will play his due role to have better diplomatic and parliamentary relations with Afghanistan.

He said, “We should review our matters and all state institutions should have to go for new social contract to run affairs of the state.”

Qaiser that he aims to make the NA a policy body rather than restricting it only to debating club and for this reason he has decided to bring the core issue at the forum of the assembly so that detailed discussion be made to make the directions for resolution of matters of national importance. “The active role of the parliament in the decision making would help for resolution of people’s issues,” he said.

He said he would act as custodian of the house and take along opposition and treasury benches and will not bulldoze parliamentary business, adding that he would work in consultation with the whole NA.

He stressed for governing the country through consensus and the NA is the forum where it could be achieved.

He said the country was facing many internal and external challenges adding criticism for the sake criticism is not good for anyone.

He said at the moment the country was facing a challenge of providing employment to the youth and “we have to provide them better future”.