PML-N seeks chairmanship of 27 Senate committees as govt, opp meet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has sought the chairmanship of 27 standing committees of Senate after opposition headed by PPP and treasury benches on Thursday met to discuss the matter, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources, a delegation of treasury benches comprising Shahzad Waseem, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz and Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati met with the PPP Senators Yousuf Raza Gilani and Sherry Rehman.

The sources privy to the details said that the PML-N delegation refused to attend the meeting between the treasury and opposition benches and had demanded chairmanship of 27 Senate standing committees against an earlier agreed formula between the two sides.

Earlier, a formula was agreed between the two sides to give 22 standing committees to the opposition parties and 16 to the treasury benches.

“Yousuf Raza Gilani repeatedly asked PML-N Senator Musadik Malik to attend the meeting, however, he refused to do so,” they said.

In a previous meeting on April 14, the opposition demanded the chairmanship of standing committees for interior, foreign affairs, law, and justice, and finance.

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In response, the federal government rejected to hand over the chairmanship of the important standing committee to the opposition.

Several meetings had been held between the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in Senate, however, it has borne no fruit so far.

The process of forming standing committees has been delayed despite the completion of the first month of the new parliamentary year of the Upper House.