The appointment of advisors, their sitting in the Parliament and responding to the queries of parliamentarians became controversial in National Assembly on Friday, when an opposition lawmaker termed the practice as humiliation of elected representatives.
The issue was raised by opposition member Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on a point of order, saying that responding to members' questions as well as sitting in the sessions of the Parliament by the appointed advisors was against the parliamentary practice and urged the Chair to refer issues related to the privilege of the House to the House privilege committee before giving ruling in this regard.
He said that appointing advisors against the important ministries and their domination in the house is humiliation of the public representatives and referred to the previous governments of late PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, where he opined that not even a single advisor was inducted in her cabinet.
"Such advisors have neither vote in Parliament nor are accountable to the public. They are appointed through a simple notification and they prefer to live in other countries soon after the end of the government," the MNA observed. "We are public representatives and dominance of such unelected people is like humiliation of public as well as this august House," he added.
Privatisation Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, while referring to various articles of the Constitution said President and Prime Minister can elect five advisors and they can sit in the House.
The controversy was, however, resolved after Law Minister Farooq H Naek made it clear that the country has a written constitution and all the advisors have been appointed legally and can attend sessions of the House as well as respond to queries of the members of the parliament.
"We are not doing anything against the constitution," he maintained. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan also endorsed the view point of law minister, saying that it is clearly written in the Constitution that the advisors can be appointed and can come to the House.
Hinting at former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, Babar Awan said this country has had a prime minister who got National Identity Card after his election as prime minister. Pointing finger at Rehman Malik, Advisor on Interior, he remarked: "These advisors have rendered tremendous sacrifices for democracy and would remain with us in this house as advisors till end of the government tenure."