The National Assembly Speaker, Asad Qaiser, on Thursday approved constitution of a 25-member parliamentary committee on coronavirus. As per its terms of reference, the parliamentary committee would periodically review, monitor and oversee issues related to coronavirus and its impact on the economy.
The committee has been constituted by the speaker in consultation with chairman Senate in pursuance of the decision of the meeting of the parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate held on 25th March 2020. Notification to give effect to that decision had been issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.
The committee would be headed by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser with 12 parliamentary leaders from the National Assembly and 13 from the Senate of Pakistan. The committee will also periodically review, monitor and oversee the implementation on the National Plan of Action (NAP) on coronavirus with a view to ensuring its expeditious implementation.
The committee would appoint a sub-committee to prepare detailed ToRs of the parliamentary committee in view of the above. The periodical report of the committee will be presented to both the houses of the parliament.
The Parliamentary Committee will comprise federal ministers, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khalid Maqbool Siddique, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Sheikh Rasheed, members of the National Assembly (MNAs), Khawaja Asif, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (nominee of the PPP parliamentary leader), Asad Mehmood, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Nawabzada Shah Zain Bughti, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Muhammad Akthar Mengal, and Ghaus Bux Khan Mehar.
The parliamentary leaders from Senate included in the committee are Senators Syed Shibli Faraz, Mushahid Ullah khan, Sherry Rehman, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Aurangzeb Khan, Mir Hasil Khan Bezenjo, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi, Siraj-ul- Haq, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Sitara Ayaz, Dr. Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah and Anwaarul Haq Kakar.
Federal ministers Pervez khattak, Asad Umar and Senator Azam Khan Swati and Prime Minister's Advisor and Special Assistant Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Dr Zafar Mirza, respectively will be ex-officio members of the committee.