Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Public Petition Table (PPT) in Senate has successfully completed its first year by receiving 1248 petitions, out of which 473 petitions were admitted for necessary action while 805 were found inadmissible under the rules.

The Senate Secretariat while positively responding to a request by this ssribe under the Right to Information Ordinance 2002 has shared the details of Public Petition table of the upper house for last one year.

The one-of-its-kind public petition system portal was introduced under the directions of Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on 28 April 2015. The process allows ordinary citizens to have direct access to the Senate and participate in the political process.

Till April 29, 2016, 1248 petitions were received by PPT and 473 were admitted while 805 were found inadmissible. The Senate Secretariat minutely scrutinized each petition and then after approval of Chairman Senate.

The admitted petitions were either referred to legislation wing for discussion in the House or sent to concerned Standing Committees and has to be disposed of by respective Committee within 30 working days.

Out of the 473 petitions admitted, 48 petitions on different subjects were taken on the agenda of House Business, 9 were positively disposed of by necessary actions of the Senate such as posting members’ attendance in Committee Meetings on website, permission to the petitioners to attend the Senate Session and 416 were referred to Senate Committees.

Senate Rules have been amended to provide for PPT that receives petitions through online, email and postal mail.

The petition received online gets a petition number automatically through which the petitioner can trace/track the status of the filed petition through the online tracking system. While the Petitions received by postal mail are scanned and processed electronically likewise online Petitions.

At Senate’s platform of PPT, issues of general public importance were given voice. Some of important issues considered were Enhancement of Upper Age Limit of CSS-Examination, Operationalization of National Technology Council for B. Tech graduates, Price regularization of medicines of Hepatitis, redressal of grievances of public regarding Private Agencies for Aptitude Testing, revision of Assistance Package by Federal Government for families of the Govt. Employees who die in service, provision of speedy justice to general public at Judicial forums, demands of affected families of Shuhada-e-APS Peshawar, grievances of Stakeholders of PM&DC etc.

For instance and to give understanding of progress done by this system, it is necessary to mention following public petitions and Senate’s action upon them. Enhancement of Upper Age Limit for CSS Examination; The House recommended that upper age limit may be extended for two years; said recommendation has been endorsed by the Government and a summary in this regard is pending with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Provision of Speedy Justice in the Country; the matter was referred to the already constituted Committee of the Whole, which presented detailed report on the instant issue before the House.

On the issue of National Technology Council; after the cognizance of the House, the matter has been resolved and the National Technology Council has been made operational by the Government.

Issue of Privatization of Electricity Distribution Companies; the instant issue was discussed at length, which helped in streamlining the matter and put a check on the executive to ensure transparency and accountability.

The performance of PPT is exemplary and it is not being exercised same like Suo Moto power by the Apex Court in past as it takes genuine issues of public interest rather touching the items to become headline of the newspaper.

Besides the performance, it needs keen attention of the secretariat especially the Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani to avoid discontinuity of the system after their departure from the upper house of the parliament as it is a routine that such initiatives were proved as personality motivated and shelved with the passage of time.