ABSENCE of the cabinet members from the sessions of the two houses of parliament has become once again a hotly debated issue as the lawmakers both in the Senate and the National Assembly are expressing resentment over the indifferent attitude of the ministers. The criticism of the opposition vis-à-vis inability of the ministers to attend sessions of the parliament is understandable but the gravity of the situation has forced one of the allies of the government – the PPP – to stage a walk out from the lower house.
It is a perennial issue but Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani deserves legitimate credit for successfully discouraging this tendency when he was Prime Minister of the country. As pointed out by him, he started attending sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate on almost a regular basis and as a result the ministers too were forced to ensure not only their attendance but also come fully prepared to respond to questions and other issues raised in the two houses. No doubt, the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues have other pressing engagements as well but this should not mean their visible absence from parliamentary proceedings as it badly affects performance and output of the elected houses that are supposed to legislate for the welfare of the people and give their input for resolution of their problems. The issue of supremacy of the parliament remains a matter of active discussions in the given political atmosphere of the country but who will take the parliament seriously if cabinet members and other members do not bother even to attend its sessions. This sends very negative signals to all stakeholders and also to the people of Pakistan whose faith in the ability of parliament to play its due role is somewhat shattered. It is strange that members lobby intensely to get a slot in the cabinet but display scant respect to the mother of institutions. As regular attendance and active involvement of ministers in the proceedings of the two houses and their committees can contribute towards the cherished objective of good governance, we hope the Prime Minister will take notice of the situation, attend sessions himself and take absentees to task. The custodians of the two houses of parliament should also play their role in addressing this problem. They can do this if they shun the tendency of showing undue courtesy towards the government.
