NA standing bodies to be formed next week

The standing committees of the National Assembly would be constituted next week and their first task would be to discuss budgetary proposals to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year 2019-20 and they shall make recommendations not later than March 1.
According to sources, 54 percent share of chairpersonships of the standing committees would be given to the government which will have 22 (21.6) chairpersons out of 40 standing committees. While on the other hand, 46 percent share of chairpersonships of the standing committees of the Lower House of the Parliament would be given to the opposition which makes 18 (18.4) chairpersons out of total 40 standing committees. However, the sources said that the chairpersons for two committees are not to be elected; the National Assembly's Finance Committee and House and Libraries Committee. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser will be chairperson of the Finance Committee while Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri will head the House and Libraries Committee.
The sources said that National Assembly Secretariat may issue notification in this regard on Monday or Tuesday. According to 201- (6) and (7) Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, "(6) Each Standing Committee shall scrutinise and suggest amendments, if necessary, and recommend Ministry's Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year before the same is sent to the Ministry of Finance for inclusion in the Federal Budget for the next financial year.
"Each Ministry shall submit its budgetary proposals relating to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year to the relevant standing committee not later than the 31st January of preceding financial year and standing committee shall make recommendations thereon not later than the 1st March of preceding financial year: Provided that where such recommendations are not made by the 1st March, the same shall be deemed to have been endorsed by the standing committee.
"(7) Within thirty days of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on PSDP, the ministry concerned shall submit to the committee its report - (a) of inclusion of the recommendations in the Federal Budget for the next financial year; or (b) showing reason of non-inclusion of the recommendations in the Federal Budget."