ISLAMABAD, Sep 20 (APP):President Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), Ahmed Bilal Mehboob on Friday apprised the members of the Parliament during a briefing session that on average, only 28 meetings were held in the past five years by each committee with a 11% decrease in committee activity in the Senate in the 2023-2024 parliamentary year, from 326 meetings in 2022-2023 to 290 meetings in 2023-2024.
PILDAT convened a briefing session titled “How Can Parliamentary Committees Ensure Good Governance?” aimed at enhancing parliamentarians’ engagement with parliament’s committee system for oversight of the government that provided a platform for insightful deliberations on improving the effectiveness of committees in ensuring transparency and accountability, a news release said.
The session began with President PILDAT, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob delivering a presentation on the subject. He provided a comprehensive overview of the committee process, detailing the different types of Standing Committees in the National Assembly and the Senate.
He analyzed the performance of the 15th National Assembly, where there was a six-month delay in the formation of Standing Committees despite the Rules of Procedure & Conduct of Business of the National Assembly, 2007, requiring Standing Committees to be constituted within 30 days of the ascertainment of the Leader of the House.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob’s presentation concluded with the following recommendations for improving the effectiveness of Standing Committees underlining that the committee appointments should be done on time and keeping members’ expertise in mind, Committee meetings must be scheduled more regularly, NA Committees should be given an effective role in the Budget Process, the public part of Committee Meeting Proceedings should be televised, public hearings to invite public input should be held, and Committees should have dedicated research staff and meeting rooms.
The staff from the NA and Senate Secretariat answered the parliamentarians’ questions regarding procedure, offering clarity on parliamentary rules as they relate to committees.
This dialogue enriched the session and highlighted the need for continued capacity-building activities. All participants agreed on the need for increased public awareness about the work of Standing Committees, which could be achieved through live broadcasts and public hearings.
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