NA panels are empowered to summon anyone under rules

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda’s refusal to appear before the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has generated a debate about the powers of the committees to call a minister.

Normally, the PAC does not call the minister as it deals with the accounts of government departments and the federal secretaries of relevant ministries are responsible to attend these meetings being the principal accounting officers.

While addressing a press conference, the minister said he would not appear before the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (headed by opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif) on a short notice as "I am not anyone's baap ka naukar (servant of anyone's father)".

But under the rules of the National Assembly, a committee is empowered to summon any person if it is considered necessary for discharge of its duties.

“A (committee) shall have power to require the attendance of persons or the production of papers or records if such course is considered necessary for the discharge of its duties,” says Rule 227(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly.

Under the Rule 227(3), a committee may also invite or summon or allow to appear before the committee any member or any other person having a special interest in relation to any matter under its consideration and may hear expert evidence and hold public hearing.

In established democracies like the United States, the parliamentary committees are empowered to summon anyone and even the sitting presidents have in past testified before such committees. The Supreme Court judges, heads of private corporations and generals appear before the congressional committees in the United States where such committees make up an important part of the legislative process and provide an important part of the checks and balances.

However, according to Waqar Gilani, spokesman for the last PAC chief Syed Khursheed Shah, the PAC normally does not summon ministers as it deals with the principal accounting officers for explanation of accounts.

“During last five years, under the chairmanship of Syed Khursheed Shah, a minister was not called in PAC meeting on even a single occasion,” said the spokesman. He said Faisal Vawda has most likely misunderstood the message of the PAC.