Senate special committee not empowered to summon me: Vawda

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda has said that the Senate special committee is not empowered to summon him.

He said the standing committees of parliament were, however, empowered to call him and he always tried to attend them.

As per the agenda of the meeting of the standing committee on water resources, available with Dawn, it was considering the matter referred by the Senate chairman regarding continuous absence of Mr Vawda from special committee’s meetings.

Mr Vawda told Dawn said that he had not received the letter to appear before the committee but as per his information the special committee was not empowered to summon him.

“I have a great respect for parliamentary committees and I try to attend every meeting. However sometimes because of other engagements, such as the National Assembly session and other obligations, it becomes difficult to attend them. Despite that I try to intimate the committees, however some times that message is not conveyed because of communication gap,” he said. He said that it was the first meeting of the special committee, after election of the chair, so it picked up a four-month-old issue.

“Four months ago, I could not attend a meeting of the standing committee on water resources, but after that I have been attending them regularly,” said Mr Vawda.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2019