Former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Friday pointed out that appointment of unelected members as advisers and special assistants to the prime minister beyond a certain limit is not only violation of the Constitution but it is also an indication that the country is heading towards a quasi-presidential system of government.
Speaking in the Senate on a point of public importance, he said that under the law, the Parliament can not discuss the defence budget, but a non-elected adviser will have all the information regarding allocation being made in the budget for the nuclear projects of the country.
"How can you share the defence budget with Hafeez Shaikh who hasn't taken oath...he [Sheikh] will have all the information how much allocation was made [in the budget] for country's nuclear projects under which heads...are we in safe hands?" he questioned.
He continued that under the rules, a person who has not taken oath can not attend the cabinet meeting but the irony is that at present, there are 22 advisers and special assistants to the prime minister who are regularly attending secret cabinet meetings.
He said that ministries for finance and statistics, information and broadcasting, petroleum, commerce, health and regulations, overseas Pakistanis, and power are run by the unelected advisers and special assistants.
"The Prime Minister has 5 advisers and 17 special assistants, which shows we are heading towards a quasi-presidential government system," he said. Rabbani said it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to change his cabinet and appoint anybody as his cabinet member, but when these appointments affect the functioning of the Parliament, questions start arising.
"All important ministries were given to non-elected people, which has created a chaos. When non-elected people are given important ministries, one wonders if we are going towards prudential system of government," he exclaimed. Referring to different articles and clauses of the Constitution, he said the prime minister on the advice of the president can not appoint more than five advisers, but at present there are seven advisers.
He said the rules are clear about the special assistants neither they can attend cabinet meetings nor can come to the Senate and National Assembly, which clearly impacts the functioning of the Parliament as there will be no federal minister or state minister to respond to the questions asked by the lawmakers.
He said there is no mention of special assistants, but they are privy to all important cabinet meetings being held under the Official Secret Act despite not taking oath, which clearly shows it is an attempt to make the Parliament and the Constitution redundant.
"How can an adviser or a special assistant become privy to such sensitive information [cabinet meetings] as 22 divisions are being run by these people [advisers, special assistants] in absence of the ministers," he lamented.
He said that in absence of the minister, the Prime Minister is supposed to be the in-charge of the ministry as under the Constitution a summary can be floated to the cabinet without signature of the minister concerned," he pointed out. "Is it fair that 17 ministers, who are specials assistants, can not come to the House to answer questions? Isn't this a joke with the Parliament?" he questioned.
"Seventeen ministries are in the hand of people who have not taken oath and are unelected. They can neither go to the Parliament nor are allowed to attend the meetings of the standing committees of the House," he added. "These things make the Parliament redundant. It has become clear that so-called technocratic setup is being introduced...the authoritarian model of Gen Ayub Khan is being introduced, which had given powers to the president to veto a bill passed by the Parliament," he regretted.
During the Question Hour, Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed told the Senate that his ministry has completed the audit of right of way, interchanges and rest areas at motorways and will soon present the report in the House.
He said that business plan for National Highway Authority (NHA) has been advertised in newspapers, adding that Ministry of Communication is also making a road safety policy. He said previous successive governments had not utilised the National Transport Research Centre properly.
To another question, he said asphalt wearing course (carpeting) of road section from Dilsora (Khanozai) to Makhi Adda (Kan Mehterzai) has already been completed. Tender of the Multi Cell Box Culvert/Bridge, near Muslim Bagh Boys College (City Portion), N-50, is in process and work will be executed soon after completion of tendering process, he added.
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