NA speaker’s walk-out bears fruit

PM's letter bounds federal ministries, divisions to take house business seriously

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday took notice of unresponsiveness of the bureaucracy towards parliamentary business, and directed all federal ministries and divisions to act in accordance with the rules and laws when it comes to queries asked by the lawmakers.

Through a letter PM Abbasi, while expressing his displeasure over the situation, has directed all administrative officers of federal ministries and divisions to ensure adherence to relevant rules that bound them to timely respond to parliamentarians’ questions related to their ministries.

The development came two days after National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq staged a walk-out from the house over no-show of the interior ministry officials who were supposed to answer queries regarding the bills on compulsory drug tests of students and prevention of drugs in educational institutions.



Annoyed by the ministerial staffs’ absence, Sadiq said he could not tolerate disrespect of parliament, besides threatening that he would continue staging walkouts until Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gives a written undertaking that such a scenario would not be repeated in the future.

“It has been brought to the notice of the prime minister by the National Assembly speaker that parliamentary business relating to various ministries and divisions and attached departments remain un-responded in a large number of cases.

“The speaker has also cited specific instances where a significant number of questions and calling attention notices remained un-answered by ministries and divisions,” the PM mentioned in his letter sent to the federal ministries.

He observed that this situation not only indicates clear inefficiency on the part of the relevant administrative secretaries, but also reflects negatively on the relevant ministers and ministers of state.

The prime minister further observed that conduct of official business of parliament has been provided a special place under the government of Pakistan Rules of Business, 1973, to underline its importance for a democratic process.



He said Rules 31 to 47 deal with the conduct of relations with parliament, Rule 45 specifically requires the concerned division to deal with the questions asked by the members of the upper and lower houses.

“The prime minister feels that some of the administrative secretaries have failed both their ministers as well as the government at large in performance of one of their core functions provided in the Rules of Business, 1973,” the prime minister stated.

The letter reads that the prime minister has desired that henceforth the federal secretary concerned shall be personally responsible for disposal of parliamentary business within the prescribed time with prior approval of the minister, and in case of no response to the parliamentary business shall either be incomplete or delayed for want of lack of attention and details.

The prime minister has also directed the cabinet secretary to exercise the supervisory role in this regard and ensure that in case of any lapse, in the future; responsibility would immediately be fixed and it would be brought to the notice of the prime minister for his orders.