FAFEN: Parliamentary Oversight Remains Weak in Pakistan, Executive Dominance Persists

Islamabad – February 8, 2026 — The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has warned that parliamentary oversight of the executive branch continues to be significantly weak in Pakistan, allowing executive dominance to persist unchecked.
In a detailed statement released today, FAFEN highlighted that the standing committees of the National Assembly and Senate — which are meant to serve as the primary mechanism for legislative scrutiny — remain largely ineffective due to systemic and procedural deficiencies.
Key observations and recommendations made by FAFEN include:
Non-compliance by executive officials — Many senior bureaucrats and public officials summoned by parliamentary committees do not appear or send low-level representatives, showing disregard for parliamentary authority.
Lack of enforcement powers — Committees currently have no legal mechanism to penalize non-compliant officers or enforce attendance.
Recommendation for penalties — FAFEN has demanded that specific punishments (fines, departmental proceedings, or other sanctions) be introduced through legislation for officers who fail to appear before standing committees without valid reason.
Legislative reforms needed — The network called for urgent law-making to strengthen parliamentary committees, including amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in both houses and possibly new legislation to give committees greater coercive and follow-up powers.
Broader concern — Weak oversight contributes to poor policy implementation, lack of accountability, misuse of public resources, and erosion of democratic checks and balances.
FAFEN emphasized that a strong and functional parliamentary committee system is essential for effective governance, transparency, and democratic deepening in Pakistan. The organization urged political parties, the government, and the opposition to jointly prioritize reforms to restore the Parliament’s constitutional role as a robust institution of accountability.
The statement comes at a time when public trust in institutions remains low and debates over executive overreach, ordinance-making powers, and bypassing of parliamentary processes have intensified.