The assembly has not summoned a session since mid-December last year. PHOTO: FILE
By not holding regular assembly sessions, the legislative forum is violating its own rules -the rules and procedures adopted by the House a couple of months ago clearly stated, “A session shall be summoned each month.” Certain members of the assembly also consider it a disservice to the people who elected the lawmakers in power. “During a session, the issues and problems being faced by the people are raised in the House,” said Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Moin Aamir Pirzada. “They are avoiding holding a session because of a strong opposition in the provincial assembly.”
According to Pirzada the worsening law and order in Karachi has exposed the false claims being made by the government that it has controlled the situation. “It appears that the provincial government is afraid of the protests, anger and frustration of the opposition members on the government’s failure in managing the state’s affairs,” he said, adding that the assembly was the only platform where ministers could respond to the concerns expressed by lawmakers and debate is initiated on important issues.
“Our prime job is legislation, but many important bills, resolutions, adjournment and privilege motions are pending while the session has still not been called.”
Talking to The Express Tribune, Sindh Assembly Secretary GM Umar Farooq said that according to the 18th Amendment, the provincial assembly has to complete 100 days in each parliamentary year. So far, it has finished only 34. “The first session was called on May 29, 2013 when the newly elected MPAs had taken oath. It was the start of first parliamentary year of the incumbent assembly,” said Farooq. “The year will end on May 28 which means that we have only four months to meet the deadline.”
So much to do, such little time
Pakistan Muslim League - Functional’s leader, Jam Madad, said the delay in session was due to the ‘non-serious attitude of the government’. He added that the elected members must be given more time for legislations and discussions on public issues rather than merely meeting the target. “In the last eight months, the provincial assembly has only passed 20 bills and 16 resolutions. This is really unfortunate. We have dozens of laws pending, but the treasury members are not willing to take up the laws,” he said, adding that the work will pile up, bills will be passed in haste and it will be publicly claimed that the parliamentary days were completed.
According to the assembly’s website, only 10 sessions have been held in the last eight months - four of these sessions were a daylong while two were an hourlong.
The government set precedence by summoning two sessions on behest of the opposition, but since they were only an hourlong, the opposition parties were not pleased.
According to Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz’s Ifranullah Marwat, an opposition member, the assembly was still incomplete as neither the Public Accounts Committee nor the standing committees have been formed. “Soon after the first session, the government has to form all these committees. But it has yet to happen,” he said.
Dr Sikandar Mandhro, the minister for parliamentary affairs, however, claimed that they have finalised the committees’ formation process and would soon announce the chairpersons for them with the consultation of opposition parties. When asked about the delayed session, he said that the last Sindh Assembly summoned the most session in the last five years. “We were busy preparing for the local government election. The next assembly session may be called by the end of this month.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2014.
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