National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday recommended its members and other parliamentarians to forward their suggestions on election laws to Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms for consideration. The meeting of the committee was held in the chair of MNA Mian Abdul Mannan here in the Parliament House.
The committee discussed the Election Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014, moved by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, a member of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The amendment bill seeks amendments in Representation of People's Act, 1976 and the Election Commission Order, 2002 for improving transparency and accountability in funding and expenditures for the elections.
An official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) briefed the committee members in detail about the relevant election laws and needs for improvement. After the briefing, the committee decided that members of the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, in particular, and members of the Parliament, in general, may forward their recommendations on the bill to the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms for consideration. The committee while discussing parking problems faced by parliamentarians at Karachi Airport, directed Aviation Division and Civil Aviation Authority to provide parking space for members of the Parliament and their easy access to the drop lane at Karachi Airport. Discussing problems of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the committee expressed its displeasure over bad state of cleanliness, security and catering services at the Parliament Lodges and Government Hostel, Islamabad.
The committee directed the CDA administration to focus on cleanliness in the premises and security of the members of the Parliament as some of the parliamentarians are facing potential security threats. The committee directed the CDA administration to conduct surprise checks on the cafeterias for improvement in the quality of food and services in the Parliament Lodges.