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LAHORE, Feb 17 (APP):Punjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Monday highlighted the significance of parliamentary committees and said that they played crucial role in parliamentary system.
He presided over an important meeting of the Council of Chairpersons, held in the Punjab Assembly, said a press release issued here.
The meeting focused on amendments to the Rules of Procedure, pending business of standing committees and the scheduling of committee meetings.
He emphasized that the strength of the committee was the strength of the Assembly, adding that across the world, people looked towards the Parliament for guidance.
Expressing regret, the speaker said that despite existing laws, this was the first-ever meeting of the Council of Chairpersons in the history of the Assembly.
He further explained that previously, committees could only deliberate on referred matters, whereas now they had the authority to review all rules comprehensively.
The Speaker apprised the attendees that the number of standing committees in the Punjab Assembly had increased from 37 to 48, ensuring that each department under the Assembly’s jurisdiction now had a dedicated committee.
He further said that this Assembly could not be compared to the previous 17 assemblies, as the current standing committees were more active and empowered than ever before.
The meeting was attended by standing committee chairpersons and several members of the Assembly, including Asma Insham, Mansab Ali Dogar, Waqar Ahmad Cheema, Junaid Afzal Sahi, Ahmad Ahsan Iqbal, Samiullah Khan, Haider Ali Gillani, Pir Ashraf Rasool, Owais Work, Shazia Abid, Habibur Rehman, Hassan Riaz, Philbos, Ahmar Bhatti, Hassan Butter, Amjad Ali Javed, Agha Ali Haider, Adnan Dogar, Mohsin Ayub, Khan Bahadur, and Arif Gul. Additionally, Zulfiqar Ali Shah and several other members participated via video link.
The meeting deliberated on amendments to the Assembly’s rules and procedures, discussed pending matters of the committees and reviewed the scheduling of standing committee meetings. This session is seen as a significant step towards strengthening the role and autonomy of Punjab Assembly’s standing committees.