With fear and anxiety, MPs pick up where they left off

Reaction to parliamentary SOPs a mixed bag with some satisfied and some ignoring them

ISLAMABAD: With over a dozen lawmakers and more than 30 staff members infected, even Parliament House is not immune to Covid-19 concerns. But with the budget session fast approaching, the National Assembly and Senate could not remain on on hiatus any longer.

For now, some parliamentarians who spoke to The Express Tribune appeared satisfied with the arrangements made for their safety. “I think the steps that have been taken to ensure social distancing in the upper house are satisfactory,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Musaddiq Malik. “A floor plan has been created so that the fewest number of senators attend proceedings. And while we no longer take our masks off before addressing the house.”

“That said there is a need to test as many MPs and parliament staff members as possible. Covid-19 is highly contagious and everyone is at risk,” Malik added.

Parliamentary Secretary for Housing Tashfeen Safdar said the National Assembly Secretariat made arrangements as best as it could. “Now it is up to the members to take care of standard operating procedures. Since only 25 per cent of members are attending proceedings, we can significantly reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection,” she said. “It is also a good idea to not provide food in the lobbies as the virus can be transmitted by disposable utensils.”

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s Maulana Asad Mahmood, however, disagreed with the attendance restrictions on parliamentary proceedings. “If the government cannot provide security for 300 MNAs, how can it protect 22 million people,” he said.

One possibility suggested earlier was hold virtual parliamentary sessions. Sources, however, said the option was put aside due the budget session being so close.

“We wanted a virtual session. It was Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who insisted against it,” alleged Parliamentary Secretary Farrukh Habib. “At the time, Abbasi said he would take responsibility if any MP was infected. But now, he has fallen victim to the coronavirus as well,” Habib said.

Despite reassuring words from some parliamentarians, not everything went according to plan when the National Assembly resumed proceedings last week on Friday. Many MNAs arrived in the lower house without Covid-19 test reports and ignored other SOPs devised for their own protection, some lawmakers told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

“NA Speaker Asad Qaiser expressed great displeasure and rebuked some MNAs. He asked them why they were trying to be their own enemies and vowed to ensure strict compliance with SOPs in following proceedings,” one lawmaker told The Express Tribune.

According to another, the demand for virtual sessions also resurfaced during Friday’s proceedings. “Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry made the demand for a virtual session and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan also voiced concerns against physical presence in parliament,” the lawmaker said.