One House, two sessions
ISLAMABAD - The Senate on Wednesday saw two parallel sessions, unprecedented in history of the Upper House – one by the members of government parties and other by the boycotting PPP-led opposition parties, as mark of protest against alleged misconduct of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The House, shortly after it resumed, was informed by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq about the progress being made by a parliamentary committee to reconcile with the boycotting opposition. He said the committee held a couple of meetings with opposition members‚ but they have decided to carry on their protest. He said treasury benches were still making efforts to bring the annoyed opposition back and hopefully something positive would come out.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah criticised the opposition’s attitude and said the chair should take notice of illegal proceedings of Senate outside the parliament. He said the circumstances have reached a point where the chair’s ruling might be needed. Chaudhry Jajfer Iqbal while taking part said the opposition parties are violating three of Senate’s rules and conduct of business.
Taking part in the debate‚ Mir Hasil Bizenjo requested the Chair to play his role in bringing the opposition back in the House. The chairman assured to play his role and said that without opposition the proceedings of the House are meaningless. The Chair also asked the treasury to persuade the opposition to end their boycott. The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday.
On the other hand, the PPP-led opposition parties held their own session outside the Parliament House to protest against interior minister’s conduct in the Senate following a controversy over the number of causalities in the terror related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Ahmed Hassan Khan from PPP who has been nominated on the panel of chairmen presided the secession.
Speaking at the session, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that 32 members are present in the session and therefore the quorum is complete. He criticised the way government is conducting sessions in the parliament and said the government has violated all parliamentary traditions and norms.
Awami National Party’s Senator Afrasiyab Khatak spoke to the lawmakers and claimed that US missile strikes are being carried out with government consent. “We should expel foreign militants from the tribal areas before initiating a campaign against the missile attacks,“ he suggested.
PML-N’s State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali came outside to persuade the opposition lawmakers to end their protest, but chants of ‘Shame, Shame’ compelled him to retreat immediately. The opposition members later adjourned their protest until next day.
Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who dismissed the protest as mere ‘hue and cry’, suggested on Wednesday in the national assembly that a committee of opposition members be constituted to investigate the issue.
A war of words broke out between PPP Senator Raza Rabbani and Nisar on October 30 after Nisar presented figures of casualties from terrorist attacks which were swiftly challenged by an ANP senator who called them a “pack of lies”. PPP senator Aitzaz Ahsan asked the minister to take back the stats and return with correct figures.
But the interior minister remained unmoved in his seat and his unresponsiveness to opposition’s deman triggered a heated altercation among the members of the two benches. Later the combined opposition, excluding MQM, walked out of the House. The opposition members are boycotting the senate proceedings since then and have also moved a privilege motion against Ch Nisar Ali Khan.
STREET SESSION FLAYED
Coming down hard on opposition for what he termed ‘drama’ State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said that by holding the so-called proceedings of Upper House of the Parliament, Opposition had actually undermined the sanctity of the Parliament.
Talking to media outside Parliament House here on Wednesday, Abid Sher Ali said that opposition should be ashamed of its behaviour in Senate and for the first time in history such an irresponsible behaviour had been shown by the parliamentarians.
He said Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has also faced such incidents when it was in opposition but it had never staged a drama outside the parliament.
Replying to a query, minister stated that he supported the statement of Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan and he had said nothing against him or his demeanour.
He further said that even during the dictatorial regimes such an act was not done by the parliamentarians.
The House, shortly after it resumed, was informed by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq about the progress being made by a parliamentary committee to reconcile with the boycotting opposition. He said the committee held a couple of meetings with opposition members‚ but they have decided to carry on their protest. He said treasury benches were still making efforts to bring the annoyed opposition back and hopefully something positive would come out.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah criticised the opposition’s attitude and said the chair should take notice of illegal proceedings of Senate outside the parliament. He said the circumstances have reached a point where the chair’s ruling might be needed. Chaudhry Jajfer Iqbal while taking part said the opposition parties are violating three of Senate’s rules and conduct of business.
Taking part in the debate‚ Mir Hasil Bizenjo requested the Chair to play his role in bringing the opposition back in the House. The chairman assured to play his role and said that without opposition the proceedings of the House are meaningless. The Chair also asked the treasury to persuade the opposition to end their boycott. The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday.
On the other hand, the PPP-led opposition parties held their own session outside the Parliament House to protest against interior minister’s conduct in the Senate following a controversy over the number of causalities in the terror related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Ahmed Hassan Khan from PPP who has been nominated on the panel of chairmen presided the secession.
Speaking at the session, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that 32 members are present in the session and therefore the quorum is complete. He criticised the way government is conducting sessions in the parliament and said the government has violated all parliamentary traditions and norms.
Awami National Party’s Senator Afrasiyab Khatak spoke to the lawmakers and claimed that US missile strikes are being carried out with government consent. “We should expel foreign militants from the tribal areas before initiating a campaign against the missile attacks,“ he suggested.
PML-N’s State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali came outside to persuade the opposition lawmakers to end their protest, but chants of ‘Shame, Shame’ compelled him to retreat immediately. The opposition members later adjourned their protest until next day.
Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who dismissed the protest as mere ‘hue and cry’, suggested on Wednesday in the national assembly that a committee of opposition members be constituted to investigate the issue.
A war of words broke out between PPP Senator Raza Rabbani and Nisar on October 30 after Nisar presented figures of casualties from terrorist attacks which were swiftly challenged by an ANP senator who called them a “pack of lies”. PPP senator Aitzaz Ahsan asked the minister to take back the stats and return with correct figures.
But the interior minister remained unmoved in his seat and his unresponsiveness to opposition’s deman triggered a heated altercation among the members of the two benches. Later the combined opposition, excluding MQM, walked out of the House. The opposition members are boycotting the senate proceedings since then and have also moved a privilege motion against Ch Nisar Ali Khan.
STREET SESSION FLAYED
Coming down hard on opposition for what he termed ‘drama’ State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said that by holding the so-called proceedings of Upper House of the Parliament, Opposition had actually undermined the sanctity of the Parliament.
Talking to media outside Parliament House here on Wednesday, Abid Sher Ali said that opposition should be ashamed of its behaviour in Senate and for the first time in history such an irresponsible behaviour had been shown by the parliamentarians.
He said Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has also faced such incidents when it was in opposition but it had never staged a drama outside the parliament.
Replying to a query, minister stated that he supported the statement of Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan and he had said nothing against him or his demeanour.
He further said that even during the dictatorial regimes such an act was not done by the parliamentarians.
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