PML-N challenges Senate panel on NRO

The National Assembly’s second largest Parliamentary Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), has challenged the composition of the NA Law and Justice Panel that is all set to take up the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) here coming Thursday.“The PML-N has approached Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza to ensure a re-composition in accordance with the NA party position before Oct 29 meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Law and Justice.

Just after one day of Zardari-Nawaz meeting, the PML-N wrote to the speaker not only for removal of an imbalance in the committee’s composition but also referred to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Business of the National Assembly to get at least one more member in it.“The committee’s recommendations on the NRO as well as 36 other ordinances would not have a legal standing without rectifying the composition of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Law and Justice,” sources said while referring to the contents of the Nawaz League’s move.

Reminding the speaker about promotion of positive parliamentary norms, the party said the National Assembly elected the member but the House delegated authority to her (speaker) to change these bodies’ formation if so required. “But obviously these powers need to be exercised to correct the prevailing imbalance in the committee on Law and Justice that deliberates upon and forwards its recommendations on a shameful ordinance due to majority of the beneficiary parties,” the sources said while referring to a dispatch sent to the speaker’s office.

Zahid Hamid, PML-N MNA, also a member of Law and Justice body, confirmed to The News that his party deserved to have at least one more member in the committee to ensure the democratic norms as well as according to party position.He also endorsed that the party had taken a decision for an urgent review of the Law and Justice committee prior to its forthcoming session.With NA speaker office sources insisting to have received a request, the PML-N MNA, who had been a former law minister, said his party representatives would collectively submit papers before the speaker today (Wednesday).

NA Secretary Karamat Niazi, when contacted, neither accepted nor denied about the PML-N move. According to the party position in the National Assembly, the PPP has total strength of 126, PML-N 90, PML-Q 53, MQM 25, ANP 13, JUI-F 7, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1, PPP-Sherpao 1 and 17 independent including 12 Fata members.