ISLAMABAD: A three-member subcommittee of the Senate`s Functional Committee on Delegated Legislation will meet on Friday (today) to review rules and regulations and the process for issuance of the statuary regulatory orders (SROs) in three departments and institutions functioning under the ministry of information technology and telecommunications.

The subcommittee headed by Daud Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP) is set to receive briefings on the affairs of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the Virtual University, according to the agenda issued by the Senate Secretariat.The other members of the subcommitteeareJavedAbbasiandKalsoom Parveen of the ruling PML-N.

The country`s first-ever parliamentary committee to review rules and regulations, laws and acts of the parliament was set up in December through an amendment to Senate rules on a motion that was jointly moved by almost all political parties.

Later, PPP Senator Taj Haider was elected chairman of the main committee.

The decision to form the committee was made at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the House headed by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani and having representation of all parties in the upper house of parliament.

Such committees are also functioning in other countries like India and the UK.

After holding the first meeting of the committee, Mr Haider said the committee had decided to seek briefing from each department, division and ministry working under the federal government with a view to reviewing relevant laws, rules and regulations.

The committee had already received briefings from the Privatisation Commission and the Cabinet Division.The committee has a mandate to review all acts passed by parliament and suggest framing of rules necessary for their implementation and ascertain if the rules are in accordance with the spirit of law.

What necessitated the formation of the committee was the realisation of senators that there were some acts of parliament that had been ineffective because rules required for their implementation were to be framed.

The committee, under the newlyinserted Rule 172c of the Rules of Business and Procedure for Conduct of the Senate will `scrutinise and report to Senate whether powers to make rules, regulations, bylaws, schemes or other statutory instruments conferred by the Constitution or delegated by parliament have been timely and properly exercised within such conferment or delegation, as the case may be.

Former Senate chairman Farooq Naek, Saeed Ghani, Ayesha Raza Farooq and Javed Abbasi of the PMLN, Muzaffar Hussain Shah of the PML-Functional, Muhammad Ali Saif of the MQM, Daud Achakzai of the ANP, Talha Mehmood of the JUIF, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo of the NP and independent Mohsin Leghari are the members of the main committee.