NA speaker suspends standing committee sessions

ISLAMABAD: In an apparent bid to limit Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to the parliament, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Tuesday indefinitely suspended sessions of the standing committees, stating they should only be called during the meetings of the lower house.

PPP demanded the withdrawal of this decision, calling it "tantamount to deviation from the Constitution".

Calling the speaker a 'puppet' of the prime minister, PPP's Noor Bukhari stated the premier is "in dire need to study the rules and regulations of the Parliament".

Bilawal slams 'fascist' move by PTI govt

In a press conference, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slammed the ruling government's 'fascist' move to suspend standing committee sessions, calling it "an attack on the Parliament from within".

Bilawal urged the speaker to take back his decision, stating that suspending standing committee sessions does not help the running of the lower house.

"Standing committee meetings allows us to write resolutions and discuss issues that can be brought to the National Assembly. There are 35 standing committees, how can they all be suspended. We are being hindered in our work," he added.

 

Bilawal further stated his party will continue to fight this decision every step of the way.

The PPP chairman also lamented on the lack of freedom of press in the country, adding that issues cannot be solved through censorship.

"There is an outrageous ongoing attack on the media affecting their freedom."

Zardari was to attend the session of the Standing Committee on Industries and Production on Tuesday, while Bilawal Bhutto, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights had to preside over the meeting.

"The parliamentary committees are a pivotal part of legislation and running Parliament in violation of rules and regulations in tantamount to deviation from the constitution," Bukhari stated further.

According to Qaiser, the decision to cancel the session of the standing committees was taken owing to the austerity drive. The ban will not apply to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and parliamentary committee meetings.

After the cancellation of the session of the standing committees, the issue of Zardari and Saad Rafique's production orders was also deferred.