ISLAMABAD:
Senator Raza Rabbani has said that he has serious reservations over the appointment of Senator Wasim Sajjad to the Parliamentary Commission on Implementation of the 18th amendment.
Sajjad, a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), was appointed to the commission by the prime minister on Tuesday without consulting Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Rabbani, who chairs the commission.
“I have serious reservations over the prime minister’s decision to appoint a member of the commission from the treasury benches,” Rabbani told reporters.
Political analysts say Sajjad’s appointment is unnecessary as the commission will complete its mandatory period on June 30. When asked if Sajjad could replace him as the chairperson of the commission, Rabbani said, “I will obey my party’s decision.”
According to PML-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Premier Gilani had sought his suggestion for a lawmaker to represent the party in the commission and he had recommended Sajjad.
The nine-member commission is set to complete the devolution process by the end of this month and has already devolved ten ministries. But on Wednesday, the commission could not meet as cabinet staff was engaged with the meeting of the Council of Common Interests. The commission will meet again today to discuss the devolution of seven more ministries.
Meanwhile, Rabbani insisted that PML-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar is still a member of the commission because the prime minister was yet to accept his resignation. But Dar refused to attend the meeting, saying he had resigned.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2011.
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