Parliamentary panel set to vote for ending stalemate
Vote would decide whether to adopt govt-proposed accountability commission or just fine-tune existing laws
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
After failing to develop a consensus over the proposed accountability commission bill, a parliamentary committee decided on Wednesday to hold voting to end the stalemate.
The next meeting of the parliamentary committee on accountability laws is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Friday). It would decide through a vote whether to replace the existing accountability mechanism with the government’s proposed national accountability commission or just tweak the existing laws.
Opposition rejects accountability law
The demand for fine-tuning the existing laws is supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
All proposals of various parliamentary parties are also likely be decided in a similar manner, through vote, instead of consensus.
This decision was made after the 19th meeting of the parliamentary committee failed to thrash out differences.
None of the PPP members in the committee attended Wednesday’s meeting, held under Law Minister Zahid Hamid, while PTI and JI stuck to their demand that there was no need to abandon the existing accountability laws. Both parties had already submitted separate proposals aimed at fine-tuning the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999.
During the previous session of the committee, PTI rejected a proposal floated by PPP to bring judges and generals under the ambit of the accountability law, but on Wednesday PTI suggested laws to extend the accountability net to relatives of public office holders.
Committee members also considered the procedure of filing corruption reference, but talks in this regard remained inconclusive because of the absence of PPP members. Other proposals that were discussed included cognisance of offenses and definition of corruption and corrupt practices.
Sindh govt to move accountability bill for second time
Later, briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said the committee was to discuss various proposals, but no progress could be made because of the absence of PPP members.
He said that during the Friday meeting, voting would be held on all proposals to decide pending legislations. He said the government wanted that instead of one person (the chairman NAB) deciding about filing a reference on the completion of investigations in some cases, the accountability commission should decide whether to file a reference or not.
PTI’s Shireen Mazari said they wanted to bring family members of elected representatives and public office holders under the ambit of accountability laws, but government members were “opposing the move”.
She said because of pending corruption references against the Sharif family, the government representatives in the committee now seemed incapable of taking the right decision.
After failing to develop a consensus over the proposed accountability commission bill, a parliamentary committee decided on Wednesday to hold voting to end the stalemate.
The next meeting of the parliamentary committee on accountability laws is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Friday). It would decide through a vote whether to replace the existing accountability mechanism with the government’s proposed national accountability commission or just tweak the existing laws.
Opposition rejects accountability law
The demand for fine-tuning the existing laws is supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
All proposals of various parliamentary parties are also likely be decided in a similar manner, through vote, instead of consensus.
This decision was made after the 19th meeting of the parliamentary committee failed to thrash out differences.
None of the PPP members in the committee attended Wednesday’s meeting, held under Law Minister Zahid Hamid, while PTI and JI stuck to their demand that there was no need to abandon the existing accountability laws. Both parties had already submitted separate proposals aimed at fine-tuning the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999.
During the previous session of the committee, PTI rejected a proposal floated by PPP to bring judges and generals under the ambit of the accountability law, but on Wednesday PTI suggested laws to extend the accountability net to relatives of public office holders.
Committee members also considered the procedure of filing corruption reference, but talks in this regard remained inconclusive because of the absence of PPP members. Other proposals that were discussed included cognisance of offenses and definition of corruption and corrupt practices.
Sindh govt to move accountability bill for second time
Later, briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said the committee was to discuss various proposals, but no progress could be made because of the absence of PPP members.
He said that during the Friday meeting, voting would be held on all proposals to decide pending legislations. He said the government wanted that instead of one person (the chairman NAB) deciding about filing a reference on the completion of investigations in some cases, the accountability commission should decide whether to file a reference or not.
PTI’s Shireen Mazari said they wanted to bring family members of elected representatives and public office holders under the ambit of accountability laws, but government members were “opposing the move”.
She said because of pending corruption references against the Sharif family, the government representatives in the committee now seemed incapable of taking the right decision.