Rabbani discusses issues of working of Senate bodies

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary leaders of the political parties would be approached to replace ministers as a member of the standing committees with other lawmakers to ensure presence of the committee members for their effective functioning.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said this while presiding over the meeting of the Council of Chairmen at Parliament House here on Tuesday.The forum discussed various issues confronting the smooth functioning of the standing committees. Chairmen of different standing committees pointed out that issue of the absence of committee members in the meeting is a serious concern which is hampering the legislative business and the oversight function of the committees.

Rabbani said the Senate Secretariat was also in the process to streamline leave procedure of members of the House and committees. He said better coordination among different committees in holding up their meetings should be made so as to avoid the overlapping of meetings resulting in inconvenience of the members, who are at a time member of the different committees.

The chairmen of the committees would be further facilitated with appropriate staff and other facilities. In response to an observation by Senator Shahi Syed, the Senate chairman directed the Secretariat to organise capacity building session where the senior parliamentarian will deliver lectures on the functioning of the committees and relevance of questions and other business.

The meeting also decided to ensure productive and effective legislation by the committees, committee chairmen or his nominee would present details of proceedings of the committees on the issues taken up in its meetings.

Rabbani, on a question of delay in implementation on recommendations of committees, observed that either the committees chairmen should take up the matter directly with the department concerned or write to the Senate Secretariat to expedite the process. Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said some appreciable serious business has been taken by the Senate of Pakistan and its severity and supremacy enhanced. However, some time the bureaucracy does not take the function of the standing committees seriously.

He said despite the fact that jurisdiction and role of the Senate has increased under the leadership of the present chairman. However, this has been done owing to his personal interest. He said we need to institutionalise the system and decisions of the chairmen of committees should be publicised.

Leader of the House Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq observed that some committees have not held enough number of meetings due to which many important sectors are not being given due attention. He also said that he would take up matter with the government that ministries and divisions of which the prime minister was in-charge, ministers may be nominated to participate in the standing committees on these ministries.