Virtual session of parliament is ‘need of hour’: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has called for a virtual session of the parliament amid the lockdown, calling it the need of the hour.

In a statement on Twitter, Fawad Chaudhry said that opposition is harming themselves and masses by opposing the use of technology for the virtual session of the parliament during the situation caused by the pandemic.

He further said that elected representatives should attend the session in this difficult period for legislation, and an actual session can be held in the Parliament House building after normalisation of the situation.

پاکستان کی سیاسی جماعتیں ٹیکنالوجی کے استعمال کی مخالفت کر کے اپنا اور عوام کا نقصان کر رہی ہیں، پارلیمان کا ورچوئل سیشن وقت کی ضرورت ہے، عوامی نمائندوں کو اس مشکل وقت میں فیصلہ سازی کے عمل میں لازماً شریک ہونا چاہئے، حالات نارمل ہونے کیے بعد عمارت میں بھی سیشن ہوسکتا ۔

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 2, 2020

Opposition parties have decried that parliament has been idle during the coronavirus situation and have demanded that Speaker National Assembly should summon a session to discuss the ongoing condition.

The parliamentary leaders of different political parties in the National Assembly have endorsed the idea of a physical meeting at Parliament House but opposed holding a virtual session.

On Wednesday, in a meeting chaired by Fakhar Imam, the Committee on the Virtual Session of the National Assembly was of the view that parliament embodies the will of the people and should be made functional to continue its role of parliamentary oversight on the executive.

The members of the committee extended their complete support to the Speaker National Assembly in conducting a session despite the health emergency.

Taking part in the meeting, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that there was no provision in rules of the assembly for a virtual session. He said an actual session should be called to discuss pertinent public issues besides important legislation.

Bilawal suggested ensuring health SoPs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic for the safety of the parliamentarians and parliamentary support staff. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also supported the idea of a physical session.

Federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Fehmida Mirza said that the session of the National Assembly may be convened with the adoption of health guidelines so that the safety of the members and the staff was not compromised. The next meeting of the committee has been convened on Wednesday, May 6.