Parliamentary subcommittees: Ministries told to hold regular accounts panel sessions
Headless PAC to meet in the first week of December.
Headless PAC to meet in the first week of December. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
All ministries and divisions have been asked to start holding regular meetings of departmental accounts committees and complete their homework by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The Public Accounts Committee has announced it will hold a meeting in the first week of December.
The PML-N government is currently at loggerheads with the largest opposition party - the PPP - over the chairmanship of the 14th PAC.
The newly elected PAC is likely to examine the account of the past five years of the PPP-led coalition in the Centre. The PPP had, during its tenure, cleared the backlog and is not keen on the new committee probing ‘closed’ accounts. The PML-N, on the other hand, is not eager to give the chairmanship of the crucial committee to the opposition.
The previous PAC was headed by the then opposition leader in the NA, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, who had helped the government recover close to Rs21 billion. Nisar, however, had quit the coveted office of the PAC chairman over differences with the government over the appointment of the auditor general of Pakistan. Nisar alleged that the AGP was handpicked by the PPP to conceal government accounts.
Standing committees
After much delay the government finally started the process for elections of the heads of standing committees. There are 28 standing committees, six non-ministerial standing committees, six parliamentary committees, including ones on the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and ECP members and the PAC chairperson.
After the elections of the committees on August 21, it was during the month of November when committee meetings of several standing committees were convened. Yet only 11 committees have so far elected their heads. The PML-N, due to its numerical strength in the lower house, has won the chairmanship of 10 of these committees.
CEC appointment
The Parliamentary Committee on the appointment of the CEC has neither convened any meeting to elect its chairman nor announced any date like the PAC to meet despite the fact that the ECP is being headed by an acting CEC.
Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, the former CEC, had quit the office following Supreme Court’s decision of changing the schedule for presidential elections.
Bills introduced
The incumbent government, following the May 11 polls, has so far introduced nine bills in the National Assembly including the 23rd Constitutional Amendment Act 2013. The constitutional amendment is aimed at extending quota system in allocation of jobs for another 20 years.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.
All ministries and divisions have been asked to start holding regular meetings of departmental accounts committees and complete their homework by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The Public Accounts Committee has announced it will hold a meeting in the first week of December.
The PML-N government is currently at loggerheads with the largest opposition party - the PPP - over the chairmanship of the 14th PAC.
The newly elected PAC is likely to examine the account of the past five years of the PPP-led coalition in the Centre. The PPP had, during its tenure, cleared the backlog and is not keen on the new committee probing ‘closed’ accounts. The PML-N, on the other hand, is not eager to give the chairmanship of the crucial committee to the opposition.
The previous PAC was headed by the then opposition leader in the NA, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, who had helped the government recover close to Rs21 billion. Nisar, however, had quit the coveted office of the PAC chairman over differences with the government over the appointment of the auditor general of Pakistan. Nisar alleged that the AGP was handpicked by the PPP to conceal government accounts.
Standing committees
After much delay the government finally started the process for elections of the heads of standing committees. There are 28 standing committees, six non-ministerial standing committees, six parliamentary committees, including ones on the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and ECP members and the PAC chairperson.
After the elections of the committees on August 21, it was during the month of November when committee meetings of several standing committees were convened. Yet only 11 committees have so far elected their heads. The PML-N, due to its numerical strength in the lower house, has won the chairmanship of 10 of these committees.
CEC appointment
The Parliamentary Committee on the appointment of the CEC has neither convened any meeting to elect its chairman nor announced any date like the PAC to meet despite the fact that the ECP is being headed by an acting CEC.
Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, the former CEC, had quit the office following Supreme Court’s decision of changing the schedule for presidential elections.
Bills introduced
The incumbent government, following the May 11 polls, has so far introduced nine bills in the National Assembly including the 23rd Constitutional Amendment Act 2013. The constitutional amendment is aimed at extending quota system in allocation of jobs for another 20 years.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.