Sindh govt drags its feet over forming watchdog body for two years
Law minister says they need a highly skilled assembly member for chairperson.
KARACHI:
One way for the government to keep an eye on its own officials is through a Privilege Committee. But in Sindh one has not been formed for over two and a half years simply because the Opposition and government cannot agree on who will head it.
Such a committee would be able to deal with elected representatives when say, they breach their privileges or if members of the bureaucracy do not follow the rules or if someone needs to hold officials accountable over a code of conduct. Without a Privilege Committee, however, there is no proper forum to handle such cases.
The name of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) MPA Marvi Rashdi was announced for the chairman of the committee. But she said that the government has expressed its unwillingness to appoint her.
According to the MPA, the leader of the opposition in every assembly should ideally be appointed the chairman of the Public Accounts Committees, as has been done in the National Assembly. “However, the situation is different in Sindh where a member of the treasury has been given the spot,” she added.
Rashdi said that when the opposition had made some noise after referring to the Charter of Democracy, the provincial government had assured them that a “privilege committee” would be formed and its chairmanship will be given to the opposition, after which the latter had suggested Rashdi’s name for the position.
“But the government is now frightened because I’ve never toed the line and I will take action against those who are found guilty in any case,” she said. “The chief minister has clearly informed our Opposition leader that they [government] will not accept my name for chairperson. This is the reason behind the delay in forming the committee.”
Interestingly, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Taimor Talpur had raised the issue on the floor of the assembly on many occasions, requesting the speaker and the law minister to form the committee. Each time, however, he was assured by the speaker that the committee would be formed in less than a week.
“Bureaucrats are not listening to people’s problems and many public schemes are being excluded from the Annual Development Plan (ADP) without consultation,” he said. “When we ask them [bureaucrats] for answers, they ignore us,” he said.
Apart from this, there is rampant corruption in every department, he added. “[If the privilege committee is formed] the complaints of any member can be referred to the committee, which has the power to take action against anyone.”
Talpur explained that it was the duty of either a parliamentary leader or a law minister to call a meeting and take a decision. “However, there seems [to be] a breach of violation of the speakers’ rulings as well, as he has, on many occasions, directed that the committee be formed without any delay,” he said.
For his part, however, Sindh law minister Ayaz Ahmed Soomro told The Express Tribune that the committee has been formed and its members have been nominated but that its chairperson has yet to be appointed. “It is a very important committee which needs a qualified and responsible person to head it,” he said. “We had asked the leader of the Opposition to become the chairperson of the committee but he refused.”
On being asked about Rashdi’s allegation that her name was being overlooked, the law minister stressed the need for a parliamentarian with extensive experience for this position. He added that due to the importance of this committee only a highly skilled assembly member would be appointed as chair.
Sardar Ahmed, a parliamentary leader of the MQM, told The Express Tribune that the PPP government had earlier used to criticise the former government for its “lazy progress” regarding the formation of committees.
“On several occasions, we have asked them [government] to give powers to the committee, make it functional and nominate a chairman for it, but no one is willing to take notice of this issue. According to the rules and procedure, all committees should be formed without any delay,” he said.
According to Ahmed, these committees should also have the power to award punishment to anyone who is found at fault. “We have asked the government to amend the rules of procedure, but while we always get a response from the ministers who claim to have amended the rules, they are not willing to show [the amendments] before the assembly,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid MPA Razzaque Rahmoon said that his party’s voters had complained that the district government officials misbehave with them whenever they go to get their problems registered with the constituency. “Some time ago, the Rangers had also misbehaved with Nasurullah Baloch and Javed Shah, members of the treasury benches. But since there was no committee, the issue of the members’ privileges could not be taken up at a proper forum,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2010.
One way for the government to keep an eye on its own officials is through a Privilege Committee. But in Sindh one has not been formed for over two and a half years simply because the Opposition and government cannot agree on who will head it.
Such a committee would be able to deal with elected representatives when say, they breach their privileges or if members of the bureaucracy do not follow the rules or if someone needs to hold officials accountable over a code of conduct. Without a Privilege Committee, however, there is no proper forum to handle such cases.
The name of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) MPA Marvi Rashdi was announced for the chairman of the committee. But she said that the government has expressed its unwillingness to appoint her.
According to the MPA, the leader of the opposition in every assembly should ideally be appointed the chairman of the Public Accounts Committees, as has been done in the National Assembly. “However, the situation is different in Sindh where a member of the treasury has been given the spot,” she added.
Rashdi said that when the opposition had made some noise after referring to the Charter of Democracy, the provincial government had assured them that a “privilege committee” would be formed and its chairmanship will be given to the opposition, after which the latter had suggested Rashdi’s name for the position.
“But the government is now frightened because I’ve never toed the line and I will take action against those who are found guilty in any case,” she said. “The chief minister has clearly informed our Opposition leader that they [government] will not accept my name for chairperson. This is the reason behind the delay in forming the committee.”
Interestingly, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Taimor Talpur had raised the issue on the floor of the assembly on many occasions, requesting the speaker and the law minister to form the committee. Each time, however, he was assured by the speaker that the committee would be formed in less than a week.
“Bureaucrats are not listening to people’s problems and many public schemes are being excluded from the Annual Development Plan (ADP) without consultation,” he said. “When we ask them [bureaucrats] for answers, they ignore us,” he said.
Apart from this, there is rampant corruption in every department, he added. “[If the privilege committee is formed] the complaints of any member can be referred to the committee, which has the power to take action against anyone.”
Talpur explained that it was the duty of either a parliamentary leader or a law minister to call a meeting and take a decision. “However, there seems [to be] a breach of violation of the speakers’ rulings as well, as he has, on many occasions, directed that the committee be formed without any delay,” he said.
For his part, however, Sindh law minister Ayaz Ahmed Soomro told The Express Tribune that the committee has been formed and its members have been nominated but that its chairperson has yet to be appointed. “It is a very important committee which needs a qualified and responsible person to head it,” he said. “We had asked the leader of the Opposition to become the chairperson of the committee but he refused.”
On being asked about Rashdi’s allegation that her name was being overlooked, the law minister stressed the need for a parliamentarian with extensive experience for this position. He added that due to the importance of this committee only a highly skilled assembly member would be appointed as chair.
Sardar Ahmed, a parliamentary leader of the MQM, told The Express Tribune that the PPP government had earlier used to criticise the former government for its “lazy progress” regarding the formation of committees.
“On several occasions, we have asked them [government] to give powers to the committee, make it functional and nominate a chairman for it, but no one is willing to take notice of this issue. According to the rules and procedure, all committees should be formed without any delay,” he said.
According to Ahmed, these committees should also have the power to award punishment to anyone who is found at fault. “We have asked the government to amend the rules of procedure, but while we always get a response from the ministers who claim to have amended the rules, they are not willing to show [the amendments] before the assembly,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid MPA Razzaque Rahmoon said that his party’s voters had complained that the district government officials misbehave with them whenever they go to get their problems registered with the constituency. “Some time ago, the Rangers had also misbehaved with Nasurullah Baloch and Javed Shah, members of the treasury benches. But since there was no committee, the issue of the members’ privileges could not be taken up at a proper forum,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2010.