Abbasi for meeting of NA committees’ chairmen to build consensus on issues

ISLAMABAD, Feb 06 (APP): Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi on Monday urged Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani to call a meeting of chairmen of all the standing committees of the National Assembly (NA) to build consensus among the stakeholders over certain issues.

Responding to the apprehensions of NA Special Committee on Affected Employees Chairman Qadir Khan Mandokhail in the National Assembly, he said the respected chairman should take the ministries concerned into confidence before passing any directions to them.

The minister made it clear that nobody could challenge the discretionary powers of the august committee being in the constitutional domain.

He mentioned that the state institutions were bound to follow the Supreme Court orders on the matter of sacked employees, therefore, “we should not blame our respective colleagues for ignoring the instructions of the special committee”.

The minister it was against the parliamentary norms to speak against fellow beings without any logical reason or evidence.

Earlier,Qadir Khan Mandokhail pointed a finger at some ministers for non-implementation of his committee’s directions in some departments working under their respective ministries.

He viewed that due to their non-cooperative behaviour, his committee was being made ineffective, which was a breach of the privilege of august House.

Taking a serious note of Mandokhail’s reservations, Deputy Speaker Durrani directed the departments to follow the special committee’s instructions in letter and spirit, as in case of failure, the House would take appropriate action against them.

He said the special committee was a committee of the NA and non- implementation of its directions would be considered a breach of the House.

Seconding the stance of Mandokhail, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Shagufta Jumani cited the example of the sacked employees Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution, whose service matters had not been resolved yet by the quarters concerned, and they were living a miserable life.

She also raised the issue of the lack of medical and para-medical staff and non-availability of medicines at a medical clinic established in the Parliament Lodges to provide healthcare facilities to its inhabitants.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Muhammad Abubakar informed the House that the Federal Investigation Agency was raiding the houses of Pakistan International Airlines employees who were terminated from services on the grounds of fake degrees to recover the amount received by them as salary and perks & privileges.

He said there was no use of the special committee if its recommendations were not implemented by the departments concerned.

PPP’s Syed Agha Rafiullah said the houses of poor people located in the Labour Colony, Karachi were being demolished as the Pakistan Railways land was being retrieved as per the Supreme Court orders.

He asked the chair to refer the matter to the committee concerned so that an amicable solution could be found.

Responding to Rafiullah’s query, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi said the respective member should have raised the issue of their compensation instead of stopping the process of retrieving the Pakistan Railways land.

He said action against the grabbers of railway land was being taken in compliance with the Supreme Court orders.

To this, the deputy speaker referred the issue to the committee concerned for further deliberation.