Islamabad, September 19, 2024 – PILDAT convened a briefing session onThursday, aimed at enhancing parliamentarians’ engagement with parliament’s committee system for oversight of the government. The discussion, titled “How Can Parliamentary Committees Ensure Good Governance?” provided a platform for insightful deliberations on improving the effectiveness of committees in ensuring transparency and accountability.
The session began with Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, delivering a presentation on the subject. He provided a comprehensive overview of the committee process, detailing the different types of Standing Committees in the National Assembly and the Senate. He analyzed the performance of the 15th National Assembly, where there was a six-month delay in the formation of Standing Committees despite the Rules of Procedure & Conduct of Business of the National Assembly, 2007, requiring Standing Committees to be constituted within 30 days of the ascertainment of the Leader of the House. On average, only 28 meetings were held in the five years by each committee. This translates into approximately 6 meetings per committee per year. Meanwhile, there was a 11% decrease in committee activity in the Senate in the 2023-2024 parliamentary year, from 326 meetings in 2022-2023 to 290 meetings in 2023-2024.
Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob’s presentation concluded with the following recommendations for improving the effectiveness of Standing Committees:
- Committee appointments should be done on time and keeping members’ expertise in mind
- Committee meetings must be scheduled more regularly
- NA Committees should be given an effective role in the Budget Process
- The public part of Committee Meeting Proceedings should be televised
- Public hearings to invite public input should be held
- Committees should have dedicated research staff and meeting rooms
Following the presentation, the session continued with an interactive discussion, where parliamentarians raised the issues they face within the committee system, with key challenges being summoning information from the Executive, especially responses to committee recommendations. The esteemed staff from the NA and Senate Secretariat answered the parliamentarians’ questions regarding procedure, offering clarity on parliamentary rules as they relate to committees. This dialogue enriched the session and highlighted the need for continued capacity-building activities. Lastly, all participants agreed on the need for increased public awareness about the work of Standing Committees, which could be achieved through live broadcasts and public hearings.
Members of the National Assembly and Senators in attendance included Ms. Sehar Kamran, MNA, PPPP; Mr. Pullain Baloch, MNA, NP; Mr. Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das, MNA, PML-N; Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, PML-N; Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, PTI, Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, PTI; Ms. Shaista Khan, MNA, PML-N; Mr. Muhammad Khan Daha; MNA; Dr. Shazia Sobia Somooro, MNA, PPPP. Ms. Seemee Ezdi, former Senator, was also in attendance.
Members of the National Assembly and Senate Secretariats that were also present at the Briefing Session: Syed Jawad Naqvi, Additional Secretary; Mr. Kamal Ahmed, Director General; Mr. Mehboob Gurmani, Director General NA; Mr. Maqbool Khan, Director General; Mr. Ameer Omer, Director General; Syed Khurram Hussain Naqvi, Director; Ms. Bushra Rafique, Deputy Director; Mr. Talha Haroon, Deputy Director; Mr. Sajjad Gilani, Secretary; Mr. Khalid Malik Joyia, Deputy Secretary; Mr. Asghar Gondal, Section Officer.