Rabbani accuses govt of rendering parliament redundant

ISLAMABAD: The former Senate Chairman, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, on Monday accused the PTI-led government of rendering Parliament redundant regarding all the major national issues in a bid to demonise it and “ridicule the offices of Senate chairman and NA speaker”.

Commenting on the completion of 100 days of the government, Rabbani remarked, “It is unfortunate that during the first 100 days of this government, Parliament has been rendered redundant, major issues have neither been discussed nor the Houses been taken into confidence.”

He pointed out that the government had failed to take Parliament into confidence on the two visits of the prime minister to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UAE as well as China and Malaysia.

Similarly, Rabbani noted that no act of Parliament had till date been passed and in violation of the Rules, Standing Committees in the National Assembly, have not been formed, denying Parliament the right of parliamentary oversight of the executive. He continued the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman has not been nominated till date, and, in departure from parliamentary tradition, it is now the prime minister not the speaker, who is to nominate the PAC chairman.

“The (sic) Parliament has not been taken into confidence on the talks and conditionalities being proposed by the IMF. The legislature has not been taken into confidence on the two visits of FATF Team and the benchmarks that they have set,” he maintained.

Rabbani contended that Parliament has not been taken into confidence on the increase of prices of electricity, gas and petroleum, and it was unfortunate that through deliberate intent, a systematic campaign is being carried out to demonise and bring into ridicule the offices of the Senate chairman and National Assembly Speaker.

“It should be realised that in the scheme of tracheotomy of power, Parliament is the mother of all Institutions and making such an institution dysfunctional will have disastrous effect on the institutional structure of the State,” he emphasised.