Senate Body to formulate SOPs to ensure attendance of ministers, members of the committees

ISLAMABAD: Senate Special Committee to provide mechanism for implementation of recommendations of the Committees adopted by the House discussed formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with a view to ensure attendance of ministers and members of the committees.

Senator Dilawar Khan, Chairman of the Committee in his opening remarks said that a strong parliament guaranteed 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 enhanced 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 took decisions on matter referred to it by the Council of Chairmen.

It was decided that no more than one sub-committee could be constituted by a committee at the same time, the maximum time period for presentation of committees would stay to sixty days and the permission to hold meetings in the ministries was not granted. 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.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Dilawar Khan here at the Parliament House and was attended among others by Senators Khanzada Khan, Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Muhammad Ayub, Walid Iqbal, Nighat Mirza, Haji Momin Khan Afridi, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, Secretary Parliamentary Affairs and officials from the ministry.