Ministers, committees' members: Senate body discusses formulation of SOPs to ensure attendance

Senate Special Committee to provide mechanism for implementation of recommendations of the committees adopted by the House on Monday discussed formulation of Standard Operating Procedures with a view to ensure attendance of ministers and members of the committees. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Dilawar Khan here at the Parliament House.
Chairman of the committee in his opening remarks said that a strong parliament guarantees a strong democracy and it is our responsibility to make the committees of the parliament more robust to contribute towards the socio-economic growth of the country. He said that attendance of the proceedings of the Parliament and the committees by ministers and members enhances the prestige of institution and the parliamentarians themselves.
Senator Dilawar Khan said that the special committee would make solid recommendations by taking all the stakeholders in confidence. The Committee decided that the secretariat should work on a template of warrants of production, not punishment under CPC in case summons to appear before the Committee or direction to produce required documents is not entertained.
The committee held a detailed discussion on formulation of Terms of Reference of the committee and considered orientation of chairpersons committee as well as members about the rules of business of the committees, a mechanism for efficiently following up on the points of public importance raised and about timely laying the recommendations in the House.
In addition to this, the committee took decisions on matter referred to it by the Council of Chairmen. It was decided that no more than one sub-committee can be constituted by a committee at the same time, the maximum time period for presentation of committees will stay to sixty days and the permission to hold meetings in the ministries was not granted.