NA body seeks proposals on amendments in National Assembly rules

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges Friday directed the Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to suggest proposals for making amendments in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 on monthly basis.

The committee met under the chairmanship of Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon and also prayed for the departed souls of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, former MNA and his wife.

The committee welcomed Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan, MNA for becoming new member of the Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges.

On the amendment moved by Naeema Kishwar Khan in Rule 48 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, the committee directed the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice to further go through the amendment and report to the committee in its next meeting.

On the complaint of Shagufta Jumani and Sheikh Salahuddin regarding for not giving the time of meeting by Chairman, NADRA, the committee took suo-moto of the matter and decided to discuss it in the next meeting.

The committee also decided that in future, no such compromise would be made by the respondents and the movers outside the committee. All the decisions would be made by the committee within the presence of all the concerned during the meeting.

The committee disposed of the Questions of Privileges moved by Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar, Siraj Ahmed Khan, Amjid Ali Khan, Mian Imtiaz Ahmed, Abdul Majid Khan Khanankhail, MNAs.

On the Question of Privileges, raised by Ghalib Khan, Advocate and Muhammad Jamal Ul Din, MNAs against Zafar Ul Islam, Political Agent, South Waziristan, the committee expressed its displeasure for irresponsible attitude of Zafar Ul Islam with the members.

The committee unanimously decided that the Chief Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) should inquire into the matter as per Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) Rules by dis-continuing the MCMC training of Zafar Ul Islam in National Institute of Management (NIM), Peshawar and report to the committee in its next meeting.

On the Question of Privilege raised by Sheikh Salahuddin, the committee directed the Inspector General of Police Sindh to attend the next meeting in person and submit the reply of all the questions raised by the committee members in the presence of Sarwar Jamali, DIG (Admn), Sindh before the next meeting.

Regarding the Question of Privilege raised by Dr. Fehmida Mirza, the committee expressed its displeasure on non-satisfactory reply given by the representative of Sindh Irrigation Department regarding non-availability of drinking water in Baddin, Sindh.

The committee directed that the Secretary, Irrigation Department, Sindh should attend the next meeting and brief the committee about the shortage of water in Sindh and particularly in Baddin.

On the matter of medical facilities to the dependents/parents of Members of the National Assembly, the committee directed the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to work on the matter and on the points raised by Shagufta Jumami during the meeting.

On the Question of Privilege raised by Sher Akbar Khan, MNA, the Secretary, Ministry of Energy and the concerned Project Director were directed to resolve the issues of the mover and report to the committee in its next meeting.

On the Question of Privilege raised by Ramesh Lal, the committee was not satisfied with the reply given by Zahid, M. D (OGDCL) and directed him to establish a cell under the supervision of any good officer for the facilitation of the members of the Parliament.

The meeting was attended by Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan, Rana Umer Nazir Khan, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Abdul Majid Khan Khanankhail, Sheikh Muhamamd Akram, Kiran Haider, Maiza Hameed, Shagufta Jumani, S. A. Iqbal Quadri, Muhammad Ali Rashid, Asiya Nasir, MNAs.

The meeting was also attended by Naeema Kishwar Khan, Siraj Muhammad Khan, Ghalib Khan Advocate, Amjid Ali Khan, Sheikh Salahuddin, Sher Akbar Khan, Muhammad Jamal Ul Din, Ramesh Lal, MNAs.