The Parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly on Wednesday endorsed the option of holding physical session of the National Assembly instead of virtual one with adoption of health guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The parliamentary leaders expressed their views and endorsed the option of holding physical session of the house during a meeting of the Committee on the Virtual Session of the National Assembly during COVID-19 was held in Parliament House, this morning with Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister for National Food Security and Research in the chair.
The members of the committee also said that a physical session of the National Assembly would be called with adoption of health guidelines and SOPs, so that the safety of the members and the staff was not compromised.
They all were of the view that the parliament embodies the will of the people; therefore, it should be made functional to continue its role of parliamentary oversight on executive.
They extended their all-out support to the speaker National Assembly in conduct of the session of the National Assembly in presence of the pandemic.
While participating in the meeting through a video link, PPPP Parliamentary Leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for a session of the National Assembly, slamming the federal government over what he called its failure to ensure a functional parliament during the coronavirus crisis.
He said that his party was willing to work with the speaker's office to ensure both oversight and safety.
Bilawal said that the speaker and the government must also ensure protection of life and health of the members and the staff of the assembly.
He said that lengthy debates could be limited in the coming session of the National Assembly but that there would be no compromise on voting rights for legislations.
Bilawal said that there was no provision in the rules of the assembly for a virtual session; therefore, actual session should be called to take up pertinent issues concerning public at large besides important legislation.
The PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq supported the idea of a physical session keeping in view the inadequate information technology facilitates. They said that virtual session would erode the dignity and sanctity of the parliament and the essence of the participatory democracy.
They said that agenda, number of members to be present in each sitting of the assembly and other issues could be decided in consonance. The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Jammat-e-Islami (JI) leaders Shahida Akthar Ali, Khalid Hussain Magsi and Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali supported the idea of physical session with strict observance of health SOPs.
Federal Ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Dr Fehmida Mirza expressing their point of view said that actual session of the assembly may be convened with adoption of health guidelines, so that the safety of the members and the staff was not compromised.
They said that it was heartening to note that all the political forces were on the same page during the present crisis.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that suggestions put forth by the parliamentary leaders were practical and further modalities might be worked out in light of those suggestions.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan apprised the committee about the pending legislation with both the houses of the Parliament and the Standing Committees.
He said that the session of the assembly would help in expediting the pending legislation.
The chairman decided to convene its final meeting on next Wednesday to finalise its recommendations, which would be presented to the speaker National Assembly for his consideration.
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