Constitutional requirement: Govt fails to submit key reports to parliament

Reports on CCI, Auditor General of Pakistan have not been presented in parliament.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has failed to fulfil its constitutional duty by not presenting reports on certain government institutions before the parliament, a Senate official said requesting anonymity.

Under the 18th constitutional amendment, the government is bound to table in parliament annual reports on the Principle of Policy, the Council of Common Interest, National Economic Council, auditor general of Pakistan and biannual report on the National Finance Commission, he said.

“It is a breach of the Constitution,” the official said, adding that “only the government can explain its position on the issue”.

The government’s failure to submit the reports has irked certain lawmakers. Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami told The Express Tribune that he would move a privilege motion against the government on the issue. “It is unfortunate that the government has failed to fulfil its constitutional responsibility,” he said.

On the provincial level, governments are required to present their own reports on the Principle of Policy, National Finance Commission and auditor general of Pakistan before their respective assemblies.

A senior official of the National Assembly, requesting anonymity, confirmed that the federal government has not presented the reports before the National Assembly. He added that it was not the duty of Senate chairman or speaker of National Assembly to ask the government to present the said reports.

It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to ensure that constitutional requirements are fulfilled, he said.

However, despite repeated attempts by The Express Tribune Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio could not be contacted for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2011.