Code of conduct: Senate forms parliamentary ethics committee
Panel will be introduced in the upcoming session
Panel will be introduced in the upcoming session. PHOTO: NA.GOV.Pk
ISLAMABAD:
The upper house of parliament has formulated an ethics committee comprising parliamentary heads of political parties to develop a code of conduct for parliamentarians.
The initial draft on the workings of the committee was prepared by the Senate Standing Committee on Rules and Privileges headed by Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M).
“The committee of ethics has been formulated whereas the bylaws are yet to be decided,” Jamaldini told The Express Tribune on Sunday. “We have presented the committee’s report before the Senate chairman in the House Business Advisory committee. The formulation of bylaws is in its final stages.”
The committee of ethics will comprise 13 members with over 50% quorum. The decision to nominate a chairman for the committee will be taken soon.
“Initially, we requested the Senate chairman to head this new committee but he was reluctant to do so,” Jamaldini said. He instead expressed the intent on having a new chairman nominated for the committee.
The committee will also make its own code of conduct.
“As parliamentarians, we should have a code of conduct for ourselves and we should abide by the rules and regulations and the system of the Senate,” the senator said. “The main thing required is for senators to make the system transparent and ensure accountability, as opposed to leg-pulling, which is often the case.”
In a recent speech, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani had announced the upper house was in the process of introducing initiatives to ensure accountability across the board.
The chairman also said the house was involved in formulating a code of conduct for members of the upper house and the ethics committee was a product of these efforts.
According to Jamaldini, the ethics committee will be formally introduced in the house in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2016.
The upper house of parliament has formulated an ethics committee comprising parliamentary heads of political parties to develop a code of conduct for parliamentarians.
The initial draft on the workings of the committee was prepared by the Senate Standing Committee on Rules and Privileges headed by Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M).
“The committee of ethics has been formulated whereas the bylaws are yet to be decided,” Jamaldini told The Express Tribune on Sunday. “We have presented the committee’s report before the Senate chairman in the House Business Advisory committee. The formulation of bylaws is in its final stages.”
The committee of ethics will comprise 13 members with over 50% quorum. The decision to nominate a chairman for the committee will be taken soon.
“Initially, we requested the Senate chairman to head this new committee but he was reluctant to do so,” Jamaldini said. He instead expressed the intent on having a new chairman nominated for the committee.
The committee will also make its own code of conduct.
“As parliamentarians, we should have a code of conduct for ourselves and we should abide by the rules and regulations and the system of the Senate,” the senator said. “The main thing required is for senators to make the system transparent and ensure accountability, as opposed to leg-pulling, which is often the case.”
In a recent speech, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani had announced the upper house was in the process of introducing initiatives to ensure accountability across the board.
The chairman also said the house was involved in formulating a code of conduct for members of the upper house and the ethics committee was a product of these efforts.
According to Jamaldini, the ethics committee will be formally introduced in the house in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2016.