ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: The People’s Party Parliamentarians has issued a fact sheet on the completion of a year of parliament and termed its performance “disappointing”.
The fact sheet was released to the media by PPP Deputy Secretary-General Senator Raza Rabbani here on Wednesday.
He said parliament was incomplete without an elected president and, therefore, the parliamentary year was incomplete.
Mr Rabbani said that besides the finance bill, the National Assembly had passed only one bill in the year.
He said that for the first time in the parliamentary history, the opposition continued its protest throughout the year.
He claimed that the election of about 70 parliamentary standing committees had not taken place due to differences within the ruling coalition partners.
He said the speaker had to adjourn the NA session 13 times due to lack of quorum, which showed that the treasury members had no interest in the proceedings.
He termed the parliamentary committee on water unconstitutional and asked the NA secretariat not to release allowances to its members. He said the speaker had no authority to form such a body. “We are considering to move a privilege motion on the issue,” he said.
Mr Rabbani said that the opposition, despite its protest, brought more business to parliament than the treasury benches.
He said the PPP had through resolutions sought the formation of the Council of Common Interests and the National Finance Commission, withdrawal of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 2002, and the repeal of the Hudood laws through the women’s empowerment bill.
He said the finance minister had presented the fiscal responsibility bill in the NA on the insistence of the International Monetary Fund.
He said that in 208 days, the Senate had met only for 28 days and no adjournment motion had been moved in the house.
The fact sheet states that the Legal Framework Order has tilted the balance of power in the political system in favour of the president and made parliament and the prime minister subordinate to him.
“It allows a general to continue as president without subjecting himself to election as envisaged by the Constitution,” it says.
It states: “The LFO has introduced a permanent role of the armed forces in the politics through the National Security Council. Gen Musharraf has failed to address a joint sitting of parliament and this violation of the constitution gives rise to a serious question as to whether the parliamentary year has commenced or not.
“The National Assembly met for only six days in the first 100 days and did not undertake any legislative business, except the election of the speaker, deputy speaker and the prime minister and the vote of confidence.
“The NA had been elected, but on Oct 26, 2002, the IRO, which covers trade union activities, was promulgated and not brought before the assembly as required under Article 89 of the Constitution.”