Govt, opposition agree over formula for parliamentary committees

ISLAMABAD: The government and the opposition parties have agreed over a formula for the standing committees in the parliament, citing sources ARY News reported on Thursday.

A meeting attended by the members of treasury and opposition reached to a formula over the committees.

The matter of formation of the committees will be moved in the National Assembly next week, the sources said.

The chairmen of various committees will be elected after the motion passed by the lower house.

Around 47 parliamentary and standing committees will be established in the parliament, sources said.

Among 40 lower house standing committees, chairpersons of 21 will belong to the government and 19 will be from the opposition parties, as per the agreed formula.

According to sources, nine chairpersons of committees will be elected from 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, according to sources.

Pakistan People’s Party has also handed over the names of its members for expected chairmen of committees.

The party has nominated its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to chair the parliamentary committee for foreign affairs.

PPP leaders Aftab Shaban Mirani, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Mehmood, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Nafeesa Shah could become chairpersons of committees.

The meeting that decided the matter was attended by PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan, party’s chief whip Amir Doggar, Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar, Shazia Mari, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Rana Tanvir and others.