‘Activate standing committees, PFC in public interest’

PTI MPA stresses inclusion of opposition in Public Accounts Committee for real-time monitoring of govt audit reports

KARACHI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA and parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Bilal Ahmed Ghaffar has stressed the need to properly activate critical spaces for decision making, such as standing committees and the Provincial Finance Commission, to facilitate the public interest.

He expressed these views while addressing a consultation titled 'Engagement with Parliamentarians: Optimising Benefits of Public Policy' at a local hotel on Tuesday.

The event was organised by Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE) to create a link between policymakers, academia and civil society, so as to promote the development of legislations for the benefit of the public, particularly in the domains of ecology, climate change, transport, gender, mobility, water and sanitation.

Ghaffar highlighted during the session the importance of the inclusion of opposition members in the Public Accounts Committee for the real-time monitoring of government audit reports.

"The opposition is as important as the treasury benches in a democracy to support transparency in the system," he said.

Ghaffar also expressed hope that civil society would play a role in reversing the deadlock between the two segments of democracy- treasury and opposition lawmakers- with regards to participation in standing committees, particularly the public accounts committee.

Besides, Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Taj Haider laid emphasis on bringing rationalism in debates and deliberations instead of reactive politics so that everyone benefited from a solution-based approach.

"Leaders of political parties are the members of the Sindh Assembly's Business Advisory Committee. This committee allows every party to discuss matters of interest before a formal discussion on the floor and thereby provides an opportunity to solve disputes and grievances too," he underscored.

The senator was wary of members showing laxity in resolving issues even after two and a half years of formation of the current assembly.

"Treasury benches should try and make sure that the opposition does not feel marginalised and opposition leaders should approach the government for overcoming obstacles in collaboration," he added.

Shehri-CBE general secretary Amber Alibhai also offered the consultative platform of the organisation for constructive engagement between legislators, academia, experts and citizens in general.

"We have experience of over 30 years in research and data collection, which is available for the benefit of the public and we will like legislators to develop policies with the help of this information bank," she added.

Seconding the proposal, architect and planner Professor Noman Ahmed underlined the importance of setting up a public policy resource centre to assist parliamentarians.

Former federal minister Javed Jabbar spoke about electoral reforms and called on the government to "declare voting mandatory so as to prevent the minority from ruling the majority".

Grand Democratic Alliance MPA Shaharyar Khan Mahar expressed concern that while many laws had been made in the assembly, few had been implemented by devising relevant rules and procedures.

Responding to that, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan MPA Mangla Sharma said parliamentary leaders should get serious about overcoming the rift between the opposition and government.

"They should call a meeting with the speaker of the house and provincial law minister to bury the hatchet so that we can focus on parliamentary duties properly," she proposed.

Habib University Faculty Member Dr Severine Minot and Urban planner Farhan Anwar also spoke on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2021.