NA annoyed at ministers’ absence

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah on Thursday gave a strict ruling on the continuous absence of cabinet members from the National Assembly, saying the government was not serious in running the proceedings of lower house of parliament.

“The government is non-serious as despite repeated reminders, ministers are not turning up in the National Assembly. If the government wants to run this House this way, it is not possible,” the deputy speaker, who was chairing the proceedings, said.

The NA proceedings on Thursday faced premature adjournment owing to protest by government and opposition benches against the absence of cabinet members in the House. The deputy speaker maintained that the proceedings of National Assembly would not continue from next week if the ministers did not come. He said they were also going to write to the prime minister to draw his attention towards the matter.

Noting that Parliamentary Secretary for Interior Nelson Azim was also not present to respond to questions relating to his ministry, the deputy speaker adjourned the proceedings till Friday morning.

Naveed Qamar of PPP said it was the constitutional duty of ministers to be present here and there could not be a more important obligation than it. “That is why I want a strict ruling and not an advice from you,” he said while addressing the chair. He said the ministers were major beneficiaries of parliament yet they did not turn up in the House. “How anybody can expect the opposition or any other to respect parliament when major beneficiaries do not respect it,” he questioned.

The PPP parliamentarian said the ministers were not attending the NA proceedings in defiance of the Constitution and directives of the chair. “We keep making requests and they keep ignoring us.”

Opposition Leader Omar Ayub also regretted the absence of cabinet members. “This is a non-serious attitude on the part of the government as no minister is in the House,” he said.

PPP’s Shazia Marri said Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, who on Wednesday gave an assurance that the cabinet members would attend the House, was also not present today.

At the outset, ex-NA speaker Asad Qaisar pointed out that no cabinet member was present in the House. On his request, the deputy speaker suspended proceedings for 15 minutes, but no minister turned up.