ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, lawmakers from both houses of parliament voiced their displeasure over the ministers’ ongoing absence. Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah called it a “disgrace” to the parliament and said that if the ministers were not in the house, they would not hold National Assembly proceedings.
We won’t be able to run the house if the ministers don’t show there next week. After several MNAs from the opposition and the Treasury voiced their displeasure about the ministers’ absence during question hour for the second day in a row, the deputy speaker remarked, “If this is what they want, this is what we will do …. this is disgrace to the house.”
Additionally, Mr. Shah declared that they would notify the prime minister of the issue in a letter.
Similar circumstances occurred in the Senate, where the absence of the ministers forced Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani to postpone a number of agenda items.
PTI MNA Asad Qaiser called the chair’s attention to the empty Treasury benches at the beginning of the NA sitting, claiming that this demonstrated the government’s seriousness. He referred to it as “condemnable” and requested that the chair “suspend the proceedings in protest.” A 15-minute break was subsequently declared by the deputy speaker. But nothing had changed by the time the members got back together.
According to veteran PPP MNA Naveed Qamar, ministers have a constitutional obligation to be present in this house. He said that nothing had changed even though they had brought up the same matter on Wednesday.
“When the main beneficiaries of parliament choose not to respect parliament, how do they [the ministers] expect the opposition or anybody else to do the same?” questioned Mr. Qamar.
“This is absurd. The PPP MNA urged the chair to issue a “strict ruling,” saying, “We keep raising issues and yet they keep abstaining themselves.”
As the members pounded their desks, he declared, “The house should not proceed until the ministers are not present here.” Omar Ayub Khan, the leader of the opposition, also voiced his disapproval at the minister’s absence, calling it a “insult” to the parliament.
Without addressing any items on the agenda, the deputy speaker adjourned the house till Friday, which is today.
Senate meeting
After senators protested, the Senate chairman postponed calling attention notifications and many questions because the ministers were not present.
Kamran Murtaza of the JUI-F requested that the chair suspend the ministers who were not present, while Sherry Rehman of the PPP requested that the chair warn the ministers.
Irfan Siddiqui, the legislative leader of the PML-N, was asked to respond by the chairman, but he remained silent, called the situation “regretful,” and offered no promises, letting the chairman to make the final decision. Mr. Gilani expressed regret for the circumstance and described it as going against parliamentary traditions.
Where had the ministers gone?
The ministers, unfazed by the criticism directed at them, spent the day engaged in a variety of activities outside of parliament, as evidenced by the press releases that their respective ministries’ media managers sent to newspapers and television networks asking them to provide prominent coverage.
Most of the ministers were in the federal capital, with the exception of Attaullah Tarar, the minister of information, who had departed on a visit to Turkiye.
In addition to welcoming a delegation from the Local Council Association, Mardan, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal attended at least two other events, according to a brief summary of some of the ministers’ activities.
While Commerce Minister Jam Kamal chaired the board meeting of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was spotted at the home of PTI-Parliamentarians leader Pervez Khattak.
While Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer first chaired a meeting of the Central Cotton Committee’s Governing Body before attending the Kenyan National Day event, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb participated virtually in the first session of the International Islamic Capital Markets Conference.
Similarly, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja found time to host and greet Kazakhstan’s envoy, while Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui preferred a scholarship celebration event.
