ISLAMABAD, April 6: The chairperson of the National Assembly standing committee on population welfare, Gul-i-Farkhanda, has taken exception to the appearance of parliamentary secretary of the ministry, Dr Doniya Aziz, in the committee deliberation on behalf of the minister or the minister of state. When contacted, Dr Doniya Aziz challenged the interpretation of the rules by the chairperson and said as parliamentary secretary, she was fully competent to represent the ministry in the committee. Dr Doniya also quoted the relevant rules pertaining to functions of the parliamentary secretaries issued by the ministry of parliamentary affairs vide SRO No 41 (R)/62 which in its section 5 said “the parliamentary secretary shall attend the meetings of the Standing Committees of the National Assembly which relate to his Division and represent the views of the Division there.”

Ms Gul-i-Farkhanda, in a press statement on Wednesday, contended that a parliamentary secretary had no locus standi in the standing committee of the National Assembly because she Was not a member of the committee. She claimed that a parliamentary secretary was competent only to answer questions on behalf of the minister in the House and not in the committee.

Arguing her stance, she said “a parliamentary secretary has no authority to take actions in the affairs of the MOPW (ministry of population welfare) under her own pen. Authority and answerability go together and she (Dr Doniya) is not a minister of state and is devoid of penal authority. Hence she has no answerability in the standing committee.”

Gul-i-Farkhanda said the role of the standing committee as a watchdog body should not be belittled and the minister or the minister of state concerned should attend the meeting. Gul-i-Farkhanda said she shouldn’t be prevented from discharging her constitutional obligations as chairperson of the standing committee.

The parliamentary secretary for population, Dr Doniya Aziz was surprised to know the position taken by the chairperson and said under the rules and notifications issued by the government, she was fully competent to attend the committee meeting on behalf of the minister or the minister of state.