Parliament in Pakistan not delivering: Babar Awan

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan has said that the main responsibility of the Parliament was to enact pro-people and pro-state legislation.

“Pakistan’s current Parliament is a failed one in the Pakistan history as it did not play a role for what it has been and that is the reason that it lacks the trust of people,” he said in a wide ranging interview with The News on Saturday.

Dr Babar Awan said that the Parliament acts as a watchdog on policymaking but the current Parliament has failed on both counts and due to its failure the Parliament did not get the trust of the people of Pakistan.

He said that just like the cabinet which is answerable to the Parliament, the Parliament is also answerable to people of Pakistan but unfortunately the Parliament has failed to do pro-people legislation.

To a question with regard to mandatory 130 working days in the Constitution for the Parliament and how it will complete its reaming 53 days before the end of the parliamentary year in mid of August, Babar Awan said the working days were symbolic in the Constitution and the allocation of days was the symbol of the responsibility. In one week, the Parliament holds its sitting for five and an half days but the members get salaries, TA/DA and other perks and privileges for the whole week. “I will summon the meeting of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Monday (tomorrow) to formulate roadmap to complete the remaining 53 working days of the Parliament as it was constitutional obligation which has to be fulfilled by the mid of August,” he said.

The PM’s adviser said it was decided to summon the joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament before the budget session which is to commence from June 01. “I had sent a letter to all the ministries seeking details of the pending legislations and the joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament will be summoned in which the legislation of the Interior Ministry on Mutual Legal Assistance will be approved,” he said.

Babar Awan said the budget session of the National Assembly will started from June 05.

The adviser said there were warnings of COVID-19 and there were reports that many of legislators who attended the recently prorogued session were tested positive so we have to take precautionary measures.

To a question regarding the activeness of the parliamentary committees, Babar Awan said currently 78 parliamentary committees of both the Houses of the Parliament were functioning on which millions of rupees were spent monthly and their performance was that dozens of bills were pending there for last many years.

He said there was no single legislation that was cleared by the committees within 30 days and now letters have been written to all the committees to clear the pending legislations.

To a question with regard to 18th Amendment, Babar Awan said the no agenda of any change to 18th Amendment is on his table. “But any amendment could be made in the Constitution as the Constitution doesn’t bar from it,” he said.

He said the constitution of Pakistan was enacted on April 12, 1973 and till 1977 there were seven amendments and after 18th Amendment, about a dozen of constitutional amendments were made that also included two with regard to creation of military courts.

He said in the Senate around two constitutional bills of the government were pending, while the opposition has moved 8 constitutional amendments in the Senate that also includes of constitutional amendments moved by Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman.

He said in the National Assembly, three constitutional amendments of the government and around 28 of the opposition were pending so around 42 bills of the constitutional amendments were pending in the Parliament. “When these constitutional bills come under discussion, then the 18th Amendment can also be discussed and if needed then the special constitutional committee could also be formed,” he said.

He said the focus of the government was not 18th Amendment.

In a reply to a question with regard to National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, he said the NFC has no link with the 18th Amendment.

He said the president has formed the NFC as per Constitution which gives him power for the appointment of the members for the NFC.

In a reply to amendment to national accountability laws, the adviser made it clear there will be no wing cutting of the NAB during the tenure of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “The institution of the accountability was neither formed by the PTI nor it will dissolve it,” he made it clear.

He said everyone is equal before the law and anyone who was accused should get clear himself.

He said it was first time in the tenure of Prime Minister Imran Khan that the accountability of the cabinet ministers was made.

He said the there was also space for the reforming in the laws but the amendments to NAB laws could not be made as per wish list.

To a question with regard to threat of COVID-19 with regard to physical session of the Parliament, Babar Awan said not holding the physical session was a mistake and it was the authority of the Speaker to fix the time and venue of the session.

Babar Awan said in the past, policies were formulated for road shows and political power show, but the experience showed all these failed to achieve. He said it was first time that the policy on COVID-19 was formed by taking the NDMA on board along with the Health, Finance, Planning, Food Security, Interior and chief ministers of four provinces to create a Coordination Committee and National Command and Operation Centre.

He said the armed forces of the country were engaged in two hot borders and also assisting the civil government against COVID-19.

He said those who accuse Prime Minister Imran Khan of being incapable forget that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where no one formed government second time, but it was Imran Khan whose party was elected with majority for second time.