Fifteen days on, the federal government is using delay tactics to avoid formation of the parliamentary committee to oversee the implementation of the unanimous resolution passed by the All-Parties Conference (APC) and the previous resolutions passed by parliament. Under mysterious circumstances, the government also violated its commitment made during the recent business advisory committee for tabling the APC resolution in the National Assembly session on October 3.
The APC, which met at the PM’s Secretariat on September 29, had resolved that a parliamentary committee would be formed to oversee the implementation of earlier (parliamentary) resolutions as well as the APC resolution and progress on the same would be made public on monthly basis. Most of the leaders of eminent political parties had expressed doubts over the government’s commitment to implement the APC resolution, keeping in view the patchy track record of the PPP government.
A source in legislative wing of the National Assembly Secretariat confided to Pakistan Today that the issue of tabling the APC resolution was discussed during the recent meeting of the House business advisory committee on October 3, wherein it was unanimously agreed that the resolution would be tabled in the House soon after the commencement of the session. However, the source added that it was surprising that neither the resolution had been tabled nor any political party had objected to the development despite a lapse of around two weeks.
“Under the rules of procedure of the National Assembly, any resolution has to be made property of the House so as the same could be implemented. Any special committee of parliament could be constituted by the speaker National Assembly after a motion under Rule 244 (B) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the National Assembly, 2007, is adopted by the House. Under the motion, the House has to adopt the resolution and empower the NA speaker to constitute a parliamentary committee,” another source said.
“The NA speaker cannot form the committee of parliament until and unless the resolution is laid in the House. After laying the resolution, the House must authorise the speaker for formation of the monitoring committee,” the source said, adding that once the resolution was made property of the House, the speaker could move forward and seek nominations from all political parties to form the monitoring committee on APC and previous resolutions of parliament.
“Normally, any resolution is laid before the House without unnecessary delay, but it is surprising that such an important resolution has not yet been tabled in the House, which is self-explanatory,” the source added. When contacted, a spokesman of the National Assembly Secretariat confirmed to Pakistan Today that the government had not yet submitted the resolution in the House or the National Assembly Secretariat.
