Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: AFP /FILE
If it worked in Punjab, the ruling party is banking on it to work in the Centre.
Getting serious about the rising chorus of discontent, not only from the opposition but within its own ranks too, regarding the efficacy and availability of ministers and officials, the prime minister is set to put in place a body similar to Punjab’s famed all-powerful Public Affairs Unit.
After facing a barrage of complaints during a meeting with senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to liaison between his ministers and the party’s lawmakers, as well as to bridge the perceived gap between the Prime Minister House and his party’s parliamentarians, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The issue of the performance of federal law ministers was brought up when Nawaz presided over a PML-N parliamentary board meeting on Sunday in Lahore. Senior leaders attending the meeting also spoke of the extreme frustration of not getting access to the prime minister on pressing matters, said sources privy to the proceedings of the meeting.
The premier was told that federal ministers are missing from National Assembly sessions and are then also not approachable outside parliament. When the ministers do attend National Assembly sessions, the prime minister was told, they avoid meeting lawmakers who bring constituency-related problems to them.
It was further added during the meeting that when the lawmakers are in the capital for a National Assembly session, they visit a ministry directly but the federal secretary concerned is usually also not available. They alleged that the secretary only returns after the National Assembly session is over and the lawmakers have left the capital to return to their constituencies. The senior PML-N lawmakers said that when the secretaries are questioned about their non-availability, they say that they were busy carrying out the tasks of the prime minister.
Committee
The day after hearing the complaints, Prime Minister Sharif on Monday constituted a three-member committee comprising Hamza Shahbaz, Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar and senior leader Chaudhry Saud Majeed.
Within the current week, the committee will interview various bureaucrats to bring on board – after which the committee will be officially notified along with its terms of reference.
According to the initial sketch, the committee will not only ensure the attendance and availability of ministers, but also evaluate their performance. If federal minister belonging to Punjab remains absent from the proceedings of a session, the concerned district authority will be tasked to track him down and ask him to attend.
Based on their communication with lawmakers, the committee will also evaluate the need for development projects in different constituencies and coordinate between ministries and departments to ensure their execution.
When approached to confirm the formation of the committee, Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that while he wasn’t aware of its formation, if the prime minister had made such a commitment it would be fulfilled.
The prime minister’s press secretary did not respond to questions regarding the committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2013.
COMMENTS (18)
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Why don’t you get better ministers to begin with? Before the elections, you boasted an experienced team. What kind of experience you were talking about? Fraud, Money Laundering, Hustling, Land Grabbing, and Crime? If you want to be a successful politician in PMLN. You will have to be re-born in to the Nawaz khandan. That is the only way possible.
The committee will also perform the same ways as the law makers of PMLN. Nawaz you are just going down and down. Look at the members of committee. Would this man ever be able to see beyond his family members? They are all incompetents and enjoying in public exchequers. This schism has shown the true face of PML-N parliamentarians.
Honestly, Yousaf Raza Gillani was 100 times better than this dude. He's very low on IQ, needs luqma or a purchi to complete a sentence. Never shows up in the Assembly. Nepotism, and non-governance are at its worse. Economy is in tatters. Lawlessness, Sectarianism are at its peak. Hustlers and Money Launderers are the ministers. On top of that there is a big question mark on the legitimacy of his election.
Why don't you get better ministers to begin with? Before the elections, you boasted an experienced team. What kind of experience you were talking about? Fraud, Money Laundering, Hustling, Land Grabbing, and Crime?
Ya Amir-ul-Momineen... Following his leisure trip at the Saroor Palace, he is obsessed with the KSA. He is strengthening the "House of Sharifs". Soon the name of Pakistan will be changed to the "Kingdom of Sharifia".
Being a member of a committee gives you a status. you serve the master and deliver the conclusion he desires. After all you get travelling allowance and diett allowance. The peons salute you too! I have worked in the N.H.S for 40 years and the best thing we used to do was to evaluate our performance every month ourselves. Suddenly the dreaded disease of committees appeared on the horizon. WE looked upon them as a group of people who indvidually could not make a decision but saw to that as a group no body did either. utter waste of time. If a minister or a secretary is not present show him the door. End of the matter--oh no we should appoint a committee to discuss this!
SO will this committee also monitor performance and attendance of PM in NA sessions?
If the PMLN ministers are not available to their own lawmakers then we can imagine their availability to the general public. Pathetic democracy this is!
Nawas should get rid of Muhammad Safdar at least.
Again a committee of family members
Who is Saud Majeed, could he not appoint his daughter instead of this guy to join his nephew and son in law.
Punjab is a role model !
keep check on yourself first..
What is sense of creating a committee to check on performance of ministers. Why Pakistan has to reinvent wheel every time there is a problem. If performance of ministers model worked in UAE then why wouldn't Pakistan adopt that model.
And to monitor that committee another committee will be formed, then another and then another....typical Pakistan politics
Lol look at the members of committee. Would this man ever be able to see beyond his family members.