Khawaja Asif urges opposition to end committee boycott

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has urged the opposition to end its boycott of parliamentary standing committees and invited opposition members to attend the committee meeting on Monday.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif said there was no better platform than standing committees for parliamentary oversight. He called for committee proceedings to be made open so that the public could see that Parliament was holding institutions accountable.

Both houses of Parliament demanded a transparent investigation into the PIMS tragedy, in which 14 newborn babies died. Motions seeking the formation of a special parliamentary committee to investigate the incident were also approved.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal assured lawmakers that no one responsible for the tragedy would be spared. He said all relevant officials would be called before the inquiry and held accountable.

Mustafa Kamal also asked opposition lawmakers to provide suggestions and a clear roadmap to prevent similar incidents in the future. He urged lawmakers not to limit the matter to dates, committees and inquiries, but to focus on finding a practical solution.

The health minister said political pressure should not interfere with the accountability process. He also appealed to lawmakers not to intervene when officials were removed or disciplinary action was taken against those found responsible.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said a detailed report on the tragedy would be prepared within seven days. He said the government would take necessary action after reviewing the findings.

Tarar urged lawmakers to avoid politicising the tragedy and instead present concrete recommendations to improve the system and prevent such incidents from happening again.

The government has also announced financial assistance of Rs5 million for the family of each newborn who died in the PIMS incident.

Members of the National Assembly also offered Fateha for the newborns who lost their lives in the tragedy.