Assembly diary: Non-existent standing committees keep business at bay

With the opposition and government at each other’s throats, several issues remain pending.

PESHAWAR:

The issue of non-existent standing committees of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly along with appointment of District Development Advisory Committees (DDAC) chairpersons has kept the opposition and treasury benches busy trading barbs.

Yet, there are no signs the issue may be settled anytime in the near future. Moreover, the opposition has implied it will keep pursuing the government till the latter concedes to its demands.

Standing committees constitute an integral part of the legislative process and the number of committees equals the number of government departments. There were about 36 standing committees in the previous K-P Assembly. In its introduction notes, the provincial legislature’s website states the house will elect standing committees during its first session after the general elections for the entire tenure of the assembly.

The committees’ main function is to examine in detail a bill or any other matter referred to it by the speaker or the assembly. Following this, it is required to submit a report with its recommendations to the house within the specified period.

However, the government seems to be in no mood to listen to the demands of the opposition, trying to sweep the issue under the carpet. This delay has also affected the business of the house, which routinely refers matters to the concerned committees. The queries then remain pending subject to notification of these committees.

According to the opposition, the government seems to be facing a legal lacuna over the formation of standing committees after announcing an army of parliamentary secretaries – 32 in all – to reportedly quell resentment within the ruling party’s ranks.

Awami National Party’s parliamentary secretary Sardar Hussain Babak said the opposition would be getting chairman posts of about 13 of 37 committees. He added the appointment of a brigade of ministers, advisers, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries has left the government with few lawmakers to head standing committees.

Accusing the ruling coalition of nepotism, Babak said the business of the house was suffering due to the delays.

The appointment of DDAC chairperson is another bone of contention, with opposition lawmakers repeatedly staging walkouts following heated exchanges. This matter, too, has been continuously raised during the past few months by those occupying the opposition benches.

Opposition parties claim that, in principle, whichever party enjoys the majority in a district should also have the DDAC chairperson seat, as was the case during the previous ANP-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) coalition government.

Babak said the government has kept more than 99% of the DDAC posts for itself, adding the opposition was only given the seat in a few districts, including Battagram and Tank.

The opposition has particularly targeted the DDAC chairperson from Lakki Marwat, PTI MPA Zarin Zia. JUI-F’s Munawar Khan had earlier created a ruckus on the floor of the house, saying Zarin Zia is not a resident of Lakki Marwat. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers, on the other hand, are fighting another PTI lawmaker – Maleeha Tanveer – for the DDAC chairperson seat in Mansehra.

The government seems to be dragging its feet on both issues and is pursuing a wait-and-see policy. The coming sessions are likely to witness more walkouts and chaos as treasury and opposition benches lock horns with no intent of giving in to the other’s demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2013.