Presiding over National Assembly session by minister: house witnesses heated debate

The National Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated debate over controversy on presiding session of the House by a member with the status of federal minister as Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza reserved ruling on the matter, whereas Minister for Parliamentary Affairs observed the practice is not as per rule.
On a point of order of the Oppositon Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the members got indulged in to the controversy of presiding the House session by an MP with the status equivalent to the Federal Minister as happened during its Tuesday sitting.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani while speaking on point of explanation stated that a member who has a status of minister could preside over the House.
But Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who was absent from the House on the day when the controversy arose, again took the issue saying that a member with title of a Minister could not preside over the session as per parliamentary practice.
Ministers for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan supported the view point of the opposition leader, saying that according to the parliamentary practice a member holding title of a Minister cannot preside over the session.
Whereas Law Minister Farooq H Naek said that though the rules and procedure of the parliament are silent over the matter, under the practice those holding the title of minister couldn't preside over the House.
He suggested that the House should bring amendment motion so as to remove the controversy.
Earlier, the speaker reserved the ruling over the controversy. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said that though Prime Minister was speaking on point of explanation on Monday that was not ruling by him and there might be a misunderstanding. He made it clear that a member with the status of minister can't chair the House.
Responding to another pointed raised by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza said that sessions of the Assembly are being held according to the calendar circulated months back. She said once the on-going session is prorogued and it would be reconvened to take up the remaining issues.
Earlier, the leader of the opposition also criticised the government Ministers for taking time of the Houses in clarifying the statements of the President House, saying that this is the Parliament, which should discussed and resolve the issues being faced by masses instead of using it for other purposes.
He said President House has full arrangements and facilities for handling media and its spokesman should be responsible for issuing statement or contradiction.
The opposition leader also criticised the government for appointing non-elected advisors against important ministries, saying that why the government felt need to appoint such non-elected people in the presence of efficient parliamentarians, which was also endorsed by the PML-Q lawmaker Riaz Hussain Pirzada. Though there is a provision in the Constitution to appoint advisors, this practice undermines morale of the elected parliamentarians," he added. He further said that he did not allege the advisor for petroleum of involvement in corruption. "I even never levelled any accusation of corruption against anybody except Pervez Musharraf and that I too did not level charges of corruption against him," he added.
He observed that it was unjustified that oil prices in the international market decreased considerably while the government reduced it only 23 percent as result the ministry of petroleum has earned Rs 18 billion from the poor masses.
He further said that prices of natural gas have also been reduced in the world but in Pakistan these have been increased by 70 percent. Nisar emphasised the need that the House should debate real issues facing the country and the people.