PAC sub-bodies trump all MPs panels in performance even amid COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: The sub-panels of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly are most active even amid COVID-19 pandemic while almost all other parliamentary bodies are avoiding sessions due to coronavirus, official record shows.

Of the total 13 meetings scheduled from Friday till July 27, nine sub-committees of the PAC will hold their sessions, which reflect the kind of intensive scrutiny and audit of dealings of different federal government departments of the past years they are doing.

Besides these sub-panels, only the National Assembly committees on coronavirus, China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC), Kashmir, finance and climate change are holding meetings to take up different items during this period.

On the contrary, the Senate panels are holding their sessions with the same old speed as 13 standing committees are holding meetings in the next three weeks.

For the sessions of the National Assembly committees, the attendance of their members has not been mandatory and any MP who can’t be present has been asked to be available and connected for video conference due to coronavirus while the Senate has not made any arrangements for video conferencing but has instructed the members of the parliamentary panels to strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during such activities.

According to the schedule, the second meeting of the sub-panel of the parliamentary committee on COVID-19 will be held on July 24 to know the implementation status of its recommendation status made earlier.

The Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir will hold its session on July 17 under its new chairman Federal Minister Shehryar Afridi, who replaced Syed Fakhar Imam after the latter was inducted in the cabinet sometime back. The panel will get a briefing on the latest situation of the Kashmir dispute and the overall state of the region and future strategy of the government.

The Senate Special Committee on CPEC meets on July 20 to get a detailed briefing from CPEC Chairman Lt-Gen (R) Asim Saleem Bajwa on all CPEC projects and compliance report on its previous recommendations made on Sep 25, 2019.

The body will take into consideration a question asked by Senator Sirajul Haq regarding the details of short-term, and long-term development projects proposed/approved for Malakand Division under the CPEC, indicating the names, locations, present status, duration of completion, projects completed so far etc.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior will assemble on July 17 to consider a reference sent by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani regarding nomination of senators Kauda Babar (Balochistan) and Hidayatullah (tribal areas) as members of the Board of Governors of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).

The Senate Committee to Protect Minorities from Forced Conversions will meet on July 24 to deliberate upon non-sharing with it of reported cases of forced conversions by the provincial administrations.

The Senate Functional committee on Devolution will hold its session on July 22 to get a briefing on the post-devolution health functions and performance of the provincial and federal health departments in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. It will hold a discussion on federal institutional structure in health and its compatibility with devolution in order to effectively take up changed national health responsibilities with special reference to health emergencies.

The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development will be briefed on July 21 by the concerned ministry on facilities being provided to the Pakistanis stranded abroad due to coronavirus crisis along with details of Pakistanis returned to Pakistan till date; financial assistance/compensation provided to those overseas Pakistanis who died or have become jobless in the Gulf region during the COVID-19 pandemic and on housing projects for Pakistani expatriates with location, project commencement and completion dates, total number of residential/commercial plots created/allotted, updated development status, handing over the possession of plots, earning to the foundation/government etc.

The Senate Standing Committee on poverty Alleviation and Social Safety will be briefed on July 20 on the total budget, province-wise breakup of cash disbursement, challenges and future strategy of Ehsaas emergency cash programme, carried out by poverty alleviation and social safety division during COVID-19 lockdown.

It will also consider a question regarding the name, parentage, designation and names of departments of the government officers and officials who were receiving Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) stipends in the name of their relatives and have been excluded from the BISP roll since Dec 2019 with province wise breakup.