Assembly session: RTI law a little too quick for opposition’s liking
Lawmakers question why the govt wants to pass the important legislation in haste.
The bill was introduced in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly a week ago. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
The unexplained swiftness of the provincial government on the Right to Information (RTI) legislation was criticised by the opposition, who said the bill should first be referred to a select committee.
The bill was introduced in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly a week ago, but when it was tabled before the house on Monday, Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi directly went for the clearance stage asking members for their vote without taking the opposition’s amendments into account.
Opposition lawmakers opposed what they called ‘hasty passing of the bill’ and insisted that it should go through a select committee – as standing committees are yet to be notified.
Awami National Party parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said the opposition is not against this law, but no legislation should be passed at ‘supersonic speed’. “We need to discuss this in detail in the house,” Babak said, questioning the intention of the government in rushing ahead with the bill.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Munawar Khan said such laws need to be discussed in the law reform committee, adding many members are not aware about the content and significance of the law as yet.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s lawmaker Salim Khan said the government should have consulted the opposition before presenting the law, but it did not.
Opposition leader from the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan said treasury benches should take suggestions into account before forwarding the bill to the committee. “We have no objection to the spirit of this bill, but an act of assembly should have the consent of the whole house.”
Information Minister Shah Farman told lawmakers the RTI law was aimed at empowering people, holding public office holders and officials accountable and putting an end to corruption. “If the opposition thinks sending this law to a select committee will result in greater understanding between the opposition and treasury, I will not oppose the decision,” he added.
By-elections
The government denied reports of the provincial government’s interference in the NA-25 DI Khan-cum-Tank by-elections scheduled for Wednesday.
Replying to a point of order of JUI-F lawmakers Zahid Durrani and Mufti Syed Janan, Law Minister Israrullah Gandapur said neither did the chief minister attend Imran Khan’s public meetings in Tank nor did he enter the constituency limits.
He further said development funds have not been allocated to the area and transfers have not been made either.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.
The unexplained swiftness of the provincial government on the Right to Information (RTI) legislation was criticised by the opposition, who said the bill should first be referred to a select committee.
The bill was introduced in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly a week ago, but when it was tabled before the house on Monday, Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi directly went for the clearance stage asking members for their vote without taking the opposition’s amendments into account.
Opposition lawmakers opposed what they called ‘hasty passing of the bill’ and insisted that it should go through a select committee – as standing committees are yet to be notified.
Awami National Party parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said the opposition is not against this law, but no legislation should be passed at ‘supersonic speed’. “We need to discuss this in detail in the house,” Babak said, questioning the intention of the government in rushing ahead with the bill.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Munawar Khan said such laws need to be discussed in the law reform committee, adding many members are not aware about the content and significance of the law as yet.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s lawmaker Salim Khan said the government should have consulted the opposition before presenting the law, but it did not.
Opposition leader from the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan said treasury benches should take suggestions into account before forwarding the bill to the committee. “We have no objection to the spirit of this bill, but an act of assembly should have the consent of the whole house.”
Information Minister Shah Farman told lawmakers the RTI law was aimed at empowering people, holding public office holders and officials accountable and putting an end to corruption. “If the opposition thinks sending this law to a select committee will result in greater understanding between the opposition and treasury, I will not oppose the decision,” he added.
By-elections
The government denied reports of the provincial government’s interference in the NA-25 DI Khan-cum-Tank by-elections scheduled for Wednesday.
Replying to a point of order of JUI-F lawmakers Zahid Durrani and Mufti Syed Janan, Law Minister Israrullah Gandapur said neither did the chief minister attend Imran Khan’s public meetings in Tank nor did he enter the constituency limits.
He further said development funds have not been allocated to the area and transfers have not been made either.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.