Milestone: NA organises ‘historic’ first-ever photo session

Speaker receives report by commission on new provinces.

ISLAMABAD:

Wednesday turned out to be a historic day for the 13th National Assembly (NA). Prior to kicking off the proceedings, the lower house of Parliament organised the first-ever photo session of its members, checking off one more milestone on its way to becoming the first assembly in the country’s history to complete its term.

Addressing the house later during the proceedings, NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza observed that while the photo session was historic, democracy in Pakistan was still in its “teething phase”.

Despite the day’s importance, however, the event was apparently not significant enough for several MNAs – of the 342 members of the lower house, only around 290 showed up for the photo session. Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement were among those absent.

Report on new provinces

Once the proceedings started, the Speaker received the report of the parliamentary commission on the creation of new provinces in Punjab. According to sources, the report is likely to be presented before the lower house today (Thursday).

“The report covers all aspects and includes a proposed constitutional amendment bill for creating the new province in Punjab,” commission chairman Senator Farhatullah Babar said after submitting it. “The journey towards a new province in the Punjab may be long and tortuous, but the process is irreversible.”

A constitutional amendment bill to alter the existing boundaries of the provinces needs a two-third majority to be passed in the NA, Senate and Punjab Assembly.

SC Registrar’s refusal

The chairman of the government accounting watchdog, Nadeem Afzal Gondal, urged the house to at least hold a debate on the Supreme Court (SC) Registrar’s refusal to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“The house should debate the accountability of institutions,” Gondal maintained, while referring to the stay order which bars the registrar from appearing before the committee.

Last week, Gondal sought advice from the NA over the matter. “All efforts must be made to avoid confrontation between the institutions… the matter should be resolved through further debate in the Assembly,’ his report recommended.

Governor’s Rule in Balochistan

MNA Haji Rozud Din, once again, censured the government for imposing Governor Rule in Balochistan, before Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) MNAs staged a walkout from the proceedings.

“A debate on law and order in the country has been on the NA’s agenda for the last five months but there is no solution,” he maintained.

Responding to the walkout, Usman Khan said the government had no choice but to take the decision to impose Governor Rule. “The JUI-F is staging a walkout every single day because its ministers were minting money through corruption in Balochistan,” he hit back.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2013.