Daily Times

The members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) of the Punjab have demanded a special parliamentary committee of the House to have an oversight regarding the relief measures being taken by the government to contain the COVID-19 in the province.

This parliamentary committee will help to assist the government in various issues including the relief activities in this hard time and the wheat procurement procedure that is also just around the corner and this itself is a daunting task for the administration. Since the Punjab Assembly isn’t in session nowadays due to the pandemic and therefore forming such a parliamentary committee is need of the hour keeping in view the situation, the MPAs said.

Speaking to Daily Times, the parliamentary leader of PPP in Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza said that the elected House of people always play an important role in the time of crisis and the committee of Punjab Assembly will be very helpful in this regard. “I also received a call from Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who was also interested in forming such a committee of the House,” he said. According to PPP leader, the parliament cannot remain dysfunctional in any crisis because of its significance and vibrant role. He further added that the wheat procurement season is also inching closer and therefore the said committee is very necessary to be formed here keeping in view our economy based on agriculture. As there are 372 MPAs in Punjab Assembly and a session through video link will be difficult and therefore we are pressing for a parliamentary committee consisting of all the parliamentary leaders that will meet through video link on behalf of all the 372 members of the House, he said. MPA Hassan Murtaza further added that the PML-N is also on board in this demand of constituting a parliamentary committee at this time.

Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also made a contact with PML-N deputy secretary general Atta Ullah Tarar in this regard as he said that he will contact all the leaders being the custodian of the House. He also said that the committee will play a role during the wheat harvesting season that is also inching closer and the wheat procurement is also about to be started. He said that he will name the committee this week after contacting all the parliamentary leaders in Punjab Assembly as the committee will play role in the relief activities during the COVID-19.

Talking to Daily Times, senior PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan said that this committee will be very useful in the absence of assembly sessions that are not possible in these circumstances. He was of the view that the pre-budget session of Punjab Assembly was supposed to be held before March 31 but it couldn’t be called due to the pandemic. “The MPAs can also give their suggestions and proposals for the upcoming budget through this very committee that will have the representation of both the government and the opposition,” said MPA Samiullah Khan.