Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday decided to approach the government to ensure the attendance of ministers and senior bureaucracy in the meetings of the Senate Standing Committees to make the oversight function of the Upper House more effective. The Senate Chairman and Leader of the House in Senate would communicate with the Federal Government in writing in this regard. The Senate Chairman also asked all Chairmen of the Senate Standing Committees to set realistic agendas for committee meetings with a focus on the issues referred to the committees. This would help meet deadlines and avoid unnecessary wastage of time.

While chairing a meeting of Council of Chairmen today at Parliament House, Mian Raza Rabbani said that the main focus of the Senate Standing Committees should be on timely execution of the Parliamentary Business assigned to them and take up the other issues afterward, so that there was a minimum left over agenda of the committee’s meetings. He said that there was an increasing trend to seek extension in time by different Standing Committees which should be discouraged. He directed the Senate Secretariat to provide all possible assistance and expertise to the Standing Committees for smooth execution of the official business and apprised the meeting that the Senate was working on a plan to build more Committee Rooms for better facilitation and avoid duplication of the meetings of different Standing Committees.

Speaking on the occasion, the Leader of the House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafar ul Haq said that the issues confronting the Senate Standing Committees with regard to the response from the government functionaries, ministries and divisions have decreased. He said that substantial improvements have been noted in different areas as a result of Parliamentary oversight which need to be appreciated.

During the meeting, Chairmen of the Senate Standing Committees highlighted the problems being faced by the Committees and their proposals to further improve the oversight function of the Senate more effective.