ISLAMABAD, June 5: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi on Sunday said every organization within the limits of Pakistan, whether public or private, can be summoned before the parliament. He stated this in response to a question by Dawn if the Fauji Foundation can be summoned before the Senate Standing Committee on Defence or not.
In response to a question that defence ministry had taken the plea that being a ‘private’ entity the Fauji Foundation was beyond the purview of the parliament, Dr Niazi said, no private organization operating within the country had an exemption from being summoned before the parliament.
Dr Niazi said the principle of sovereignty and supremacy of parliament was applicable in the case.
The opposition senators rejected the claim that Fauji Foundation was a “private organisation.”
According to the Senate rules, “all matters relevant to a committee are settled by the members by majority opinion.”
However, the opposition senators who had requisitioned the committee meeting claimed Senator Nisar Memon “was wrong in taking a unilateral decision and declaring behind the back of the members in the dark of the night that the meeting on the subject will not be held.”
The defence ministry’s contention that Fauji Foundation’s management could not be summoned before the committee was rejected by MNA Aitezaz Ahsan.
“The defence ministry’s refusal to bring the Fauji Foundation under scrutiny in the committee is a sheer disobedience and disrespect to the parliament,” Aitezaz Ahsan said.
Talking to Dawn, the MNA said any entity that is “controlled” or “owned” by the government can be summoned by a committee of the parliament, including the Senate and the National Assembly.
Mr Ahsan said Fauji Foundation was like other organizations which operated as private entities but were “controlled” or “owned” by the government. He said if the PTV managing director could be summoned before a committee, nothing barred the management of Fauji Foundation from being summoned.
He said the presence of the defence secretary and other senior serving officials of the armed forces on the committee of administration of Fauji Foundation made it subject to appear before the committee and the parliament.
The committee of administration of Fauji Foundation shows that senior serving officials of armed forces are members of the committee of administration of Fauji Foundation.
The officials who are on the committee include Army’s Chief of the General Staff, Quarter Master-General, Chief of Logistics Staff, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Training & Personnel) and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Administration).
According to Fauji Foundation, the committee handles the administrative and management affairs of the Foundation.
When contacted, a former secretary of the National Assembly, Khan Ahmed Goraya, said the National Assembly committees had the powers of the civil court and could summon any person or entity within the precincts of the country. Similar rules were applicable to the Senate committees, he said.