Senate panel wants to question Shaukat Aziz

ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Saturdayresolved to summon former prime minister Shaukat Aziz so that he might explain his position on allegations that he had stopped disbursement of development funds to members of the opposition when he was premier

The decision was made at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government and Rural Development which took up the claim of some officials of the ministry of local government and rural development that they had been given verbal instructions by the PM’s Secretariat not to disburse funds to a number of opposition lawmakers. Some lawmakers also levelled such allegations. 

The committee members asked for a thorough investigation into the matter. They also decided to approach the ministry of law and justice to determine the legal status of the orders given verbally by state functionaries. 

The committee meeting was presided over by Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro in the Parliament House.

Officials briefed the committee on Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP-1), People’s Works Programme and the current status of various development schemes being executed under these schemes.

The committee asked the ministry of local government to ensure timely completion of all development schemes. 

‘These (development schemes) should not drag on for years as the delay inevitably leads to cost escalation,’ the meeting observed.
 
The committee stressed the need for adequate coordination among various executing agencies and line departments like Wapda, KESC, PWD, SSGPL and SNGPL for timely completion of the schemes. 

The members of the committee also observed that the supervisory role of the ministry must be strengthened with the help of elected representatives. 

It decided to constitute sub-committees in the provinces to help monitor the pace of work on development schemes.