A meeting of the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs revealed that many members of the parliament don’t have official residences. The meeting was held at Parliament House, which Rana Eradat Sharif chaired. Azam Nazir Tarar briefed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, sharing that over 20 MNAs are without housing.
Salary and Utility Bill Pain
He said a member of parliament is given a Rs170,000 salary, whereas they pay their own electricity and gas bills. He expressed disappointment that instead of legislating, lawmakers concentrate on roads, drains, and electricity.
Lack of Offices in Islamabad
Committee member Sahibzada Sibghatullah said that there are no offices for parliamentarians in Islamabad. Responding to this, the Federal Minister for Law informed the committee that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is finalizing the Parliamentary Outreach Policy.
Parliamentary Secretaries Recommendations
The Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs suggested legislating to define the roles, responsibilities, salaries, and benefits of parliamentary secretaries to make parliamentary business more efficient. This step aims to streamline parliamentary processes and duties for overall efficiency enhancement.
Political Recruitment Concerns
Azam Nazir Tarar revealed that political considerations have played a part in recruitment within the parliament while discussing staff issues. However, such a huge number of employees compared to senators raises questions about efficiency and justification for such a workforce. This matter, therefore, calls for a transparent and merit-based recruitment system so that parliamentary staff can be effective and necessary.
Workload on Members of Parliament
It also brought into light some workload aspects among MPs. It said they go beyond making laws only for this country and get involved with roads, drainage systems, etcetera locally. Such diversions can impact the overall legislative process, hence the effectiveness of parliaments.
Efforts to Improve Efficiency in Parliaments
These recommendations seek to address this challenge by clearly defining the duties of parliamentary secretaries. This is expected to boost the speed at which they operate, keeping their focus on legislation as opposed to administrative or local infrastructure matters.
