To assert the supremacy of the Parliament, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has issued show causes notices to former Cabinet Secretary and chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not attending a meeting convened by him and leaving another without taking permission.
According to details, the speaker had summoned the then Cabinet secretary Babar Fateh Yaqub and CDA chairman Maroof Afzal for a meeting over poor cleanliness arrangements at the Parliament Lodges and to address the complaints of the members. After attending the meeting for some time, both the bureaucrats left without seeking permission of the speaker.
The speaker also took exception to the minutes of the meeting prepared by a Joint Secretary and a senior officer because they failed to mention the breach of privilege of the Parliament and the insulting attitude of the two officers.
The speaker said that earlier the two officers had breached the privilege of the Parliament by not attending the meetings. He said the parliament has the authority to order the police to arrest anyone who deliberately avoids attending the meetings.
The sources said that on the instructions of the Speaker, the Minutes of the meeting were amended and a copy was forwarded to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The PM in response said that the speaker is the custodian of the House and fully empowered to address the grievances of the members. He said if any officer does not implement the orders of the speaker and the deputy speaker, strict disciplinary action could be taken against him.
The speaker also instructed the Secretary of the National Assembly that if former Cabinet secretary and CDA chairman excuse for leaving the meeting for engagements in Aiwan-e-Sadr or Prime Minister House, they should be asked to clarify the position in writing. In addition, their statements should be verified from Aiwan-e-Sadr and Prime Minister House.
The sources added that after issuance of show cause notices, the new Cabinet Secretary Raja Hasan Abbasi is likely to seek permission from the Prime minister for disciplinary action against the former CDA chairman while Babar Fateh Yaqub, who is now Secretary Election Commission, is likely to apologise over his attitude.
GB>