In Islamabad, the impasse over the formation of standing committees in the Senate persists due to discord between the government and the opposition.
Negotiations between government allies and opposition leader Shibli Faraz have failed to yield consensus on the allocation of Senate Standing Committees. Reports suggest that the government coalition seeks control over key committees such as foreign affairs, finance, and interior. Despite a significant meeting involving Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar, and Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, no agreement was reached.
The PPP has reportedly demanded chairmanship of the Finance Committee and Law and Justice Committee, with Saleem Mandviwala advocating for Farooq H Naik’s appointment. Conversely, Shibli Faraz has rebuffed the government’s proposal, advocating for committees to be assigned based on historical precedent. He asserts that over the past 12 years, committees have typically been held by the opposition and should continue to be so.
Highlighting the importance of standing committees in overseeing government policies and ensuring parliamentary accountability, Shibli Faraz accuses government allies of seeking to undermine this process. He denounces the unequal distribution of committees as a threat to democratic principles within the parliamentary system, alleging that the PDM-2 government has actively worked to undermine national institutions.
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