Rabbani need not write fresh letter to new NA speaker

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani does not need to write a fresh letter to the new speaker of the National Assembly for settlement of certain issues, which cropped up between the two chambers of Parliament following the adoption of 18th Amendment.
Ayaz Sadiq was sent home after an election tribunal declared his election as MNA null and void.
Sources in the National Assembly told The News that the letter was written to the office of the speaker that existed even after Ayaz Sadiq’s exit.
Exactly 11 days back, Mian Raza Rabbani had written a letter to the then National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for settlement of certain issues, which cropped up between the two chambers of the parliament following the adoption of the 18th amendment.
In the wake of 18th Amendment, many changes had been necessitated requiring modifications in laws, structures, mechanisms and some involving review of relations between the two Houses of Parliament and their committees.
Arguably, there are two major issues the new speaker will be faced with: one of course is about the resignations tendered by the MQM legislators and to respond to the letter of the Senate chairman.
“The speaker was expected to respond to the letter next week after consulting some constitutional experts, but the election tribunal has entirely changed the situation for him now,” sources claimed.
Through the letter, Rabbani has talked, among other issues, about the Public Accounts Committee having representation from the National Assembly, which exclusively examines the auditor general’s report, whereas the Senate is part of Parliament, financial autonomy to both Houses and establishment of separate parliamentary secretariats.