The government and opposition have agreed to a formula for formation of standing committees of the National Assembly in a meeting held here at the Parliament House on Thursday.
While talking to this correspondent, Chief Whip Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in National Assembly Malik Amir Dogar said that the government and opposition have agreed to a formula for formation of the National Assembly standing committees.
According to the sources, chairpersonship of 19 out of 40 standing committees would be given to the opposition and 21 standing committees will be headed by the government.
However when asked about the sharing formula about chairpersonships of standing committees, Dogar said that according to the formula, the opposition would lead as many as 18 standing committees while the government would lead 20 standing committees of the Lower House of the Parliament.
When asked about the chairmanship of Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs by Bilawal, he categorically denied it, saying he (Bilawal) would be elected as chairman of National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights.
According to the sources, the decision for chairmanship of the parliamentary committees (both of National Assembly and Senate) has not been taken so far. The government and opposition would take the decision regarding chairpersonship for the parliamentary committees in the next meeting after consultation with their leadership, they added.
They said that the combined opposition proposed the name of Bilawal for chairmanship of National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. The parliamentary committees on Election Commission members, poll rigging investigation, appointment of judges, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), National Security and Kashmir have yet to be formed.
According to the sources, the parliamentary parties have forwarded the names of their members for the National Assembly standing committees to the National Assembly speaker. They said that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan would present a motion for approval in the House in coming week for constituting committees.
They said that a total of 40 National Assembly standing committees and roundabout seven parliamentary committees (members of National Assembly and Senate) would be constituted.
They said that opposition would supervise the National Assembly standing committees including maritime affairs, narcotics control, overseas Pakistanis, railways, religious affairs, trade, textile, human rights, foreign affairs, federal education, industries and production, communication, defence production and science and technology.
While, the government side will lead standing committees including, finance, revenue and economic affairs, interior, planning, information broadcasting and national heritage, petroleum, power, and privatisation, etc.
According to the sources, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar would lead National Assembly's Finance Committee while Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri would head the House and Libraries Committee.
The chairpersons of various committees would be elected after the formation of the standing committees. According to the sources, as many as nine chairpersons of committees will be elected from opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The party, however, has decided against installing any former minister as chair of a committee and instead will provide the names of other members to head a committee, they said.
The PPP has also handed over the names of its members for expected chairpersons of committees. They said that PPP leaders including Aftab Shaban Mirani, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Mehmood, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Nafeesa Shah can become chairpersons of the standing committees of the National Assembly.
The meeting which decided the matter was attended by Ali Muhammad Khan, party's Chief Whip Amir Doggar, Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar, Shazia Marri, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Rana Tanvir and others.
