Pakistani parliament a failed one, lacks trust of the people: Babar Awan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament is a failed one and it lacks the trust of the people, said Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan in an interview with The News on Saturday.

Awan said that the Parliament acts as a watchdog on policymaking but the current Parliament has failed on both counts and due to its failure, it failed in securing the trust of the people of Pakistan.

He said that just like the cabinet, which is answerable to the Parliament, the Parliament is also answerable to the people of Pakistan but unfortunately, it has failed to legislate for the people.

In response to a question about the mandatory 130 working days in the Constitution for the Parliament and how it will complete its reaming 53 days before the end of the Parliamentary year in mid-August, Awan said the working days were symbolic in the Constitution and the allocation of days was a symbol of responsibility. 

He said that while the Parliament holds its sittings for only five-and-a-half days throughout the week, its members get salaries, TA/DA and other perks and privileges for one whole week. “I will summon the meeting of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Monday (tomorrow) to formulate a roadmap to complete the remaining 53 working days of the Parliament as it was a constitutional obligation which has to be fulfilled by the mid of August,” he said.

The PM’s adviser said it was decided to summon the joint sitting of both Houses of the Parliament before the budget session which will begin from June 01. 

“I had sent a letter to all the ministries seeking details of the pending legislations and the joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament will be summoned in which the legislation of the Interior Ministry on Mutual Legal Assistance will be approved,” he said.

Awan said the budget session of the National Assembly will start from June 05.

The adviser said there were warnings of COVID-19 and there were reports that many legislators who attended the recently prorogued session, tested positive so it was necessary to take precautionary measures.

To a question regarding the activeness of the parliamentary committees, Babar Awan said currently 78 parliamentary committees of both the Houses of the Parliament were functioning on which millions of rupees were spent monthly and their performance reflected in the fact that there were dozens of pending bills for the last many years.

He said there was no single legislation that was cleared by the committees within 30 days and now letters have been written to all the committees to clear pending legislations.

To a question with regard to the 18th Amendment, Awan said no agenda of any change to the 18th Amendment is on his table. “But any amendment could be made in the Constitution as the Constitution doesn’t bar from it,” he said.

He said the constitution of Pakistan was enacted on April 12, 1973 and till 1977 there were seven amendments and after the 18th Amendment, about a dozen constitutional amendments were made that also included two with regard to the creation of military courts.

He said that two constitutional bills of the government were pending in the Senate, while the opposition has moved eight constitutional amendments in the Senate that also includes constitutional amendments moved by Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman.

He said in the National Assembly, three constitutional amendments of the government and around 28 of the opposition were pending so around 42 bills of the constitutional amendments were pending in the Parliament. “When these constitutional bills come under discussion, then the 18th Amendment can also be discussed and if needed then the special constitutional committee could also be formed,” he said.

He said the focus of the government was not the 18th Amendment.

In a reply to a question with regard to the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, he said the NFC has no link with the 18th Amendment.

He said the president has formed the NFC as per Constitution which gives him power for the appointment of the members.

In a reply to an amendment to national accountability laws, the adviser made it clear that NAB's wings will not be clipped during the tenure of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “The institution of the accountability was neither formed by the PTI nor it will dissolve it,” he made it clear.

He said everyone is equal before the law and anyone who was accused should clear himself of all accusations.

He added it was the first time in the tenure of Prime Minister Imran Khan that the accountability of the cabinet ministers was made.

He said there was also space for reforming laws but the amendments to NAB laws could not be made as per anyone's wish list.

To a question with regard to the threat of COVID-19 with regard to a physical session of the Parliament, Awan said not holding the physical session was a mistake and it was the authority of the Speaker to fix the time and venue of the session.

Awan said in the past, policies were formulated for roadshows and political power shows, but the experience showed all these failed to achieve anything. He said it was the first time that the policy on COVID-19 was formed by taking the NDMA on board along with the ministries of Health, Finance, Planning, Food Security, Interior and chief ministers of four provinces to create a Coordination Committee and National Command and Operation Centre.

He said the armed forces of the country were engaged in two hot borders and also assisting the civil government against COVID-19.

Awan said those who accuse Prime Minister Imran Khan of being incapable forget that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where no one formed government for a second consecutive time, it was Imran Khan whose party was elected with a majority for the second time.

Originally published in The News