Truant ministers

LAWMAKERS from both the opposition and treasury benches have been up in arms about what they see as cabinet ministers’ growing complacency regarding their constitutional obligations.

The matter was raised once again in both the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday, with angry legislators demanding to know why they had not showed up for consecutive days to answer their questions. It appears that parliamentary business had to be postponed in both Houses due to their absence; a fact that so angered the deputy Speaker of the National Assembly that he termed the matter a “disgrace to the House” and declared that proceedings would not be held next week if the ministers did not show up.

PPP MNA Naveed Qamar asked a particularly poignant question, wondering, “How do they expect that the opposition or anybody will respect parliament when the major beneficiaries of parliament decide not to respect it?” It appears that this is a concept that all those who land in power invariably struggle to come to terms with.

Still, one wonders what has made the cabinet ministers so confident and comfortable in their positions that they feel no obligation to fulfilling the basic requirements of their jobs. The fact that they did not show up in parliament despite being chided for not doing so and despite most of them being in the same city points to a deeper malaise. It shows that either they feel no obligation towards parliament, or simply do not care.

This is a surprising level of hubris in these uncertain times. The country, after all, is not on some blissful trajectory, and the ruling coalition itself seems to be on shaky ground. Some of the legislators keeping the ministers in power have been the loudest in criticising their truancy. This should be enough to prompt the latter to be at their best behaviour. They must respect the offices they have been entrusted with.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024