NA committee system stuck due to govt-opposition row

ISLAMABAD: Not a single committee of the National Assembly (NA) has so far been constituted because of the government-opposition tussle whereas all the over three dozens of House bodies were required to be formed at least a month back. The result is that the committee system considered the most effective mechanism of accountability and the backbone of the parliamentary and presidential forms of government is dysfunctional.

In the absence of committees, no legislation can be done as any bill introduced in the House by either side has to go to the concerned body for consideration with the objective of its fine-tuning as well as changes if necessary.

The Imran Khan government has announced to do a lot of law-making to implement its reforms agenda. Imran was elected prime minister on August 17, and under Rule 200 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, each committee shall consist of not more than twenty members to be elected by the House within thirty days after the ascertainment of the Leader of the House. The creation of the most important body - Public Accounts Committee (PAC) - is also in limbo as the government insists that its chairman should be from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while the other side is adamant that its chief should be leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif.

Under 203, the PAC is assigned the duty of examining the accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by the National Assembly for the expenditure of the government, the annual finance accounts of the government, the reports of the Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP) and such other matters as the finance minister may refer to it. It scrutinises the appropriation accounts of the government and the reports of the AGP thereon.

The PAC is bound to satisfy itself that the moneys shown in the accounts as having been disbursed were legally available for, and applicable to the service or purpose to which they have been applied or charged; that the expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it; and that every re-appropriation has been made in accordance with the provisions made in this behalf under rules framed by the finance ministry.

The chairmen of the committees are empowered to summon an arrested member to attend their meetings. Rules 108 says the speaker or chairman of a committee may summon a member in custody on the charge of a non-bailable offence to attend a sitting or sittings of the National Assembly or a body of which he is a member, if he considers his presence necessary.

On a production order, signed by the secretary or by any other officer authorised in this behalf, addressed to the concerned provincial government where the member is held in custody, or to the authority concerned, the provincial government or such authority shall cause the member to be produced before the Sergeant-at-Arms, who shall, after the conclusion of the sitting or the meeting, deliver the member into the custody of the provincial government or other authority concerned. According to rule 198, in addition to the standing committees on PAC, rules of procedure and privileges, House and Library, government assurances and business advisory, there shall be a standing committee for each ministry of the government. Each committee shall deal with the subjects assigned, under the rules for the allocation and transaction of business of the government to the division or the ministry with which it is concerned or any other matter referred to it by the National Assembly.

However, any subject not so assigned to any ministry for which a standing committee has not been constituted will be dealt with by the body dealing with law, justice and parliamentary affairs. The House or the speaker may remit to the standing committee any subject or matter with which it is concerned and the committee shall study such subject or matter with a view to suggest legislation or making recommendations to the National Assembly.

In the past, representation to the government and opposition parties is given in the committees in proportion to their numerical strengths in the National Assembly. On the basis of this formula and practice, the opposition grouping gets chairmanships of a number of House bodies. As the National Assembly opens its new session on Monday, expectation is that the both sides may engage in serious consultations to constitute standing committees. The previous sessions were mostly marred by ruckus.