Former leader of the opposition and Member of National Assembly (NA) Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah on Friday called on NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Formation of standing committees, legislation and matters regarding other parliamentary affairs were discussed during the meeting. The speaker said that it is the joint responsibility of both the government and the opposition for making the environment of the NA favourable and maintaining its dignity.
“We have to uphold parliamentary norms, mutual respect and tolerance for each other for a smooth functioning of the parliament,” he added.
He said that criticism is the right of the opposition however it should be for betterment and not just to criticise. He stressed the need for joint efforts to overcome the challenges confronting the country at present. He said that opposition has to play a positive role in resolving national issues through parliament.
The speaker appreciated the role of opposition in making the environment of the house more friendly and peaceful. He further said that parliamentary committees are an important organ of the parliament and without their formation, enactment of legislation was not possible. He said that formation of parliamentary committees was his foremost priority and he was in contact with members of government and opposition parties to resolve this matter as soon as possible. He expressed the hope that matters pertaining to formation of parliamentary committees would be resolved through mutual consensus in the upcoming session of the NA.
Asad Qaiser said that law making is the prime responsibility of the parliament and through effective legislation we can solve public issues and can increase the dignity of parliament. He stressed upon the members of opposition to actively take part in legislation as well as to give their suggestions for its improvement. He said that presence of members in parliament reflects their seriousness in the proceedings of the house. He asked the members of the opposition to ensure their presence during the proceedings of the house as to run its business effectively.
MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah appreciated the neutral role of the speaker in the assembly and assured full support of his party in the formation of standing committees. He also appreciated the speaker’s role in resolving the issue of Public Accounts Committee and making efforts for early formation of other standing committees and expressed the hope that the task of formation of standing committees will soon be completed with mutual consensus. He stressed upon the cooperation between government and opposition for smooth legislation.
Published in Daily Times, January 12th 2019.
