Senate committee terms Privatization legislation flawed

F.P. Report

Islamabad: The Committee on Delegated Legislation today learnt that there was no legally constituted Privatization Commission and asked the government to revisit the existing privatization legislative which it said was seriously flawed.

The issue came during discussion on a petition against some Regulations of the Privatization Commission Ordinance 2000 as well as examination of the rule about valuation of property taken up by Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation today.

The meeting presided over by Senator Taj Hadier was attended by Senators Javed Abbasi, Daud Khan Achakzai, Kulsoom Perveen and Farhatullah Babar besides senior officials.

During discussion on distribution of powers between the Chairman, the Privatization Commission and the Board Senator Farhatullah Babar pointed out that there were ambiguities in the Privatization Ordinance. It was silent as to who members of the Commission were and how it was constituted, he said. After some discussion the Committee decided that the privatization legislation be revisited. The last agenda item on Rules under the National Command Authority Act was postponed as the Defence Secretary did not appear before the Committee.

Chairman Senator Taj Haider informed that late last night the Secretary defence called him and Chairman Senate to postpone it as he was busy. Earlier Defence Ministry had requested in camera discussion to which both he and the mover had agreed.

He then invited the committee members for comments. The mover Senator Farhatullah Babar said that transparency based on open discussion was a critical function of a parliamentary committee.

The NCA Act 2010 was also passed through an open public parliamentary debate. Subordinate legislation thus should also be open . Chairman Senate has also given a ruling regulating procedure to place sensitive information before Parliament, he said. Even then the Committee agreed to in camera discussion and yet the secretary defence had not come, he said.

Farhatullah Babar said that a senior officer could have deputed for secretary defence but the fact that no one has come made one wonder whether it was to wait  out till the senate term expired. He said that this issue was raised in the senate defence committee for over a year but the ministry avoided discussion.

Now it was avoiding discussion in the Delegated Legislation Committee as well and asked why. This has created space for unnecessary speculation and must be avoided, he said. The Committee decided to defer yet again the matter.