Finance and P&D reforms: Senate bodies may be formed in ongoing week

Senate Standing Committees on Finance and Planning, Development and Reforms are likely to be constituted in the ongoing week and they may be given briefings on broader contours of the budget and development outlay for the next fiscal year.
An official stated that Senate Standing Committee on Finance is also in the pipeline owing to discussion on budget as Finance Ministry is required to take the finance committees of both the houses into confidence on various aspects of the budget, especially those related to taxation.
He said that Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms is also expected to be constituted soon for presenting development outlay for the next fiscal year because these two committees will be briefed on the broader contours of budget before presenting it in the Parliament. Previously, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance was headed by Senator Saleem Mandiwalla who has now become Deputy Chairman of the Senate.
After budget is announced in the National Assembly and laid before the Senate, the Upper House refers it to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance for making recommendations to it on the proposals of senators and members of the committee who are then asked to forward their proposals. These proposals to the finance bill and development projects are finalized after more than two weeks long committee meetings for onward presentation to the Senate. Subsequently most of them are forwarded in the form of recommendations to the National Assembly for incorporating them in the budget.
Sources added that Leader of the House Raja Zafrul Haq and Leader of the Opposition Sherry Rehman are in touch with each other on the issue of constitution of committees of the Senate and the matter was also discussed in the House Advisory Committee on Monday last. However on Tuesday, the Senate constituted Finance Committee of the House by adopting a unanimous motion moved by leader of the house and leader of the opposition. The motion moved by Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and Sherry Rehman was adopted to elect members of two committees - Finance Committee of the Senate and House Committee.
The motion further noted that "chairman Senate be authorized to make such changes in the composition of these committee as and when he may deem fit." Those who have been elected as members of the Finance Committee of the House included Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairperson, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Saleem Mandviwalla, Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Raja Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq, Syed Shibli Faraz, Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Sherry Rehman, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and Anwar ul Haq Kakar. The Senate also constituted house committee of the senate.