Govt stonewalls Opp’s move to make PM face queries in NA

• NA Opp leader says PM’s presence in House would strengthen parliament

The National Assembly on Tuesday rejected the opposition’s move that there should be prime minister’s question hour time on the first Wednesday of every session to respond to queries submitted by the members.

The House did not grant leave to introduce an amendment to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly after the move was rejected by 60 to 73 votes.

Opposing the amendment, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad said it was the collective responsibility of the Cabinet to respond to the questions posed by the opposition benches. He said the prime minister was a member and Leader of the House and whenever there was a need he did come to parliament to give a policy statement on national and international issues.

Speaking in favour of the amendment, Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah argued that former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani used to come to the House and respond to the various questions raised by the members and Prime Minister’s Sharif presence in the House every Wednesday would strengthen parliament, besides raising its stature.

He said it was a usual practice in the Westminster system and would further improve efficiency of Pakistani parliament. He suggested that the matter be referred to a committee for further discussion instead of rejecting it altogether.

Expressing similar views, PPP’s Naveed Qamar and Shaida Rehmani said that the move would provide the prime minister with an opportunity to come to parliament and express his point of view before the MPs. They said that an empowered parliament would ultimately strengthen democracy and democratic institutions, adding that parliament should be taken into confidence on the various national and international issues.