Annoyed: Senate panel fumes at minister’s absence

Committee to write to Senate chief over Ahmad Mukhtar’s ‘non-serious’ attitude.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power on Friday decided to send a letter to the Senate Chairman, complaining against the continuous absence of Water and Power Minister Ahmad Mukhtar from the committee’s meeting.

The senate body will inform the chairman through the letter that Mukhtar does not take recommendations of the standing committee seriously.

This would be another point of difference between the government and its allies.

The Senate panel met with Senator Zahid Khan of ANP in the chair for comprehensive briefing on under-construction dams in the country. The committee expressed its annoyance over the continuous absence of Ahmed Mukhtar from the meetings of standing committees.

Senator Khan said the committee has asked the minister, several times, to appear before it to answer the queries of parliamentarians, but he did not bother to ensure his presence in the meeting.

“Ahmad Mukhtar’s attitude shows that he carries no respect for parliament and its members. Consequently we have unanimously decided to write a letter to chairman senate about his attitude and disrespect for the committee,” he said.

Other members of the senate body endorsed the Khan’s views and said the absence of federal minister makes their recommendations useless.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2012.