NewsOctober 09 , 2017
Country facing threats, parliament has to play role, says Rabbani
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said on Sunday that the pivot of all institutions functioning through or under the Constitution 1973, is the parliament of Pakistan with 104 senators, 342 MNAs and 728 MPAs who represent every inch and every citizen of Pakistan and this position is enshrined in the Constitution.He was addressing students at a memorial function for the late Pir Ilahi Bakhsh (PIB) at the Government PIB College, Dadu. He said, “We are confronted with internal and external threats against the sovereignty of Pakistan. Nowadays especially when our security forces are carrying out operations against non-state actors to root out terrorism, parliament has to fulfil its historic role of uniting the nation and all institutions functioning under the Constitution.”
Rabbani lauded the role played by parliament in the Yemen crisis, Kulbhushan Jadhav issue and responding to the US president’s policy on Afghanistan and in particular, parliament’s outright rejection of certain world powers trying to assign India the role of policeman in the region.
He termed parliament the chain which keeps the Federation united through the Council of Common Interests (CCI)”. Speaking on the vast and immense powers of parliament, he said that it can admit a new area to be part of the Federation of Pakistan and also address any under-representation of any area. The president under Article 41 is elected by parliament. Similarly, under Article 48 the sanction of a referendum is given by parliament. He went on to say, “That under Article 70, parliament has the power to legislate money bills and provide for the budget.”
Another very important aspect is that Article 77 provides that no tax shall be levied except by the authority of an act of parliament. In case the NA stands dissolved, the government may incur expenditures for a period of four months but the same will be ratified by the National Assembly. The NA elects the prime minister and under Clause 6 of Article 91, the cabinet is responsible to the Senate and the National Assembly. The extent of the executive authority of the Federation under Article 97 shall extend to matters with respect to which parliament has powers to make laws. Further, parliament may impose restrictions on intra-provincial trade”.
He added that parliament can interfere if there are any complaints to water and audit of accounts of federal taxes. Rabbani added that Parliament is can determine the number of judges to superior courts and it has a big role through the parliamentary committee in appointment of judges. It has central role in appointment of chief election commissioner and also to monitor the passage of electoral laws. He further said that power of proclamation of emergency vests in the Parliament.
Summing up he said that Parliament is the “Shahra” (highway) that connects the people as well as provinces to the federation and institutions to one another. Those who addressed the gathering also included former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
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