Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: The newly-appointed parliamentary
secretaries said on Wednesday, a day after their appointment that drew flak
from people and opposition lawmakers, that the move would improve the
performance of the provincial government and contribute to good governance.
The parliamentary secretaries, who talked
to The News, said their appointment would ease the pressure of mounting work on
the provincial ministers who were focusing on reforms in their respective
departments.
However, critics alleged that the PTI-led
coalition government was trying to give an official position to every member of
the treasury benches. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, through an executive
order, appointed a battalion of 31 parliamentary secretaries, a decision that a
lawmaker announced to take to the court. The province already had an oversized
cabinet of 25 people and the fresh appointments are being seen as negative both
by people and lawmakers from the opposition. “We are taking up new responsibilities
but no perks and privileges,” said Fazal Elahi, who was also appointed as a
parliamentary secretary. “We won’t be offered salaries and allowances, and it
seems difficult that we will have the facility of official car and office,” he
added.
The parliamentary secretaries said the
government had initiated reforms in all sectors and every minister was burdened
with work. The parliamentary secretaries, they said, would assist the ministers
in the provincial assembly and in offices. “We will help the ministers in
understanding different issues that crop up in their ministries,” said Meraj
Humayun Khan, an MPA from Qaumi Watan Party. “We will prepare answers for the
ministers to questions asked on the floor of the House or represent them in the
assembly if they are not attending the session,” she added. Her party already
has three ministers in the cabinet.
Some parliamentary secretaries said their
appointment would improve the performance of the PTI government. “This decision
will surely have a positive impact on the performance of our government. More
people would now be looking after the affairs of the same ministry and the
ministers will have less work to do and more time to focus on the performance
of their departments,” Fazal Elahi said.
He argued it was a step towards good
governance, something the PTI government has been trumpeting on.Mehmood Jan,
another newly-appointed parliamentary secretary, said the departments would
come under further check by them and this would contribute to good governance.
He said the parliamentary secretaries would sometimes correct the ministers if
they made mistakes and suggest new ideas to the ministry.
Provincial Law Minister Israrullah
Gandapur argued that the decision is legal and constitutional. “The appointment
of parliamentary secretaries would not add to the cabinet’s strength as they
are not members of the cabinet,” he said.
Under 18th Amendment in the Constitution,
the size of the cabinet could not exceed 11 percent of the total strength of
the assembly. A vocal opposition lawmaker, Nighat Orakzai, disagreed with the
law minister. She said it was illegal and unconstitutional and announced to
move the court against the decision. “I will take a stay order from the court,”
she said. “I will raise this issue in the provincial assembly,” she added.
Nighat Orakzai said the parliamentary
secretaries would waste money of the taxpayers. She belied the government’s
assertions that the parliamentary secretaries would have no extra benefits and
said they would have cars and offices and would draw salaries and allowances
from the provincial exchequer. “Parliamentary secretary is just like a
minister,” she asserted.
The female lawmaker, who belongs to the
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said one ministry was now run by four people:
the minister, a consultant, an advisor or a special assistant and parliamentary
secretary.
“All of them draw salaries and allowances
from the government,” she said, adding that nothing could improve the PTI
government’s performance. “They should admit they are incapable of running the
government and step down,” she said. A parliamentary secretary, Arbab Jehandad
Khan, described the appointment as “worthless.”
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