ISLAMABAD: Faced with strong criticism from the mainstream political parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in particular over his ‘failure’ to summon the requisitioned Senate session, so far, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani is now set to leave for China for attending an international moot.
Sanjrani, according to Senate Secretariat, has been specially invited by China to attend the International Symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China’s Principle of Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit, and Inclusiveness in Neighbourhood Diplomacy.
“The event, to be held on October 24, 2023, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, will feature chairman Senate as a distinguished Chief Guest,” an official statement from the Senate Secretariat said on Sunday.
Earlier on Thursday, Senator Ali Zafar from PTI announced that he was planning to move a requisition, by Thursday afternoon, for convening the Senate session, and that they had the required number of signatures of the senators for this purpose. “Israel’s killings/ slaughter of innocent civilians, attack on Gaza, and Pakistan’s political/ economic crisis /Imran Khan’s persecution will be on agenda,” he said in a statement.
However, the PTI senator’s plan was left pending due to the passing away of his father and former senator S M Zafar the same day (Thursday). On Friday, the PPP moved a requisition in the Senate Secretariat with PTI’s support to take up Israel’s atrocities on Palestinians in Gaza.
This is the third time in over a month that the PPP has moved a requisition calling upon the chairman Senate to summon the Senate session to discuss related issues. On previous two occasions, the Senate Secretariat rejected the related requisitions, claiming that the signatures of certain lawmakers on the requisitions were “unverified.”
This received strong backlash from political parties that were of the view that Senate Secretariat lacked any authority to reject a requisition.
The chairman Senate has the authority to summon a requisitioned session under Article 54(3) of the constitution, on a requisition signed by not less than one-fourth of the total membership of the house.
Apart from the Senate requisition controversy, Sanjrani has also remained under fire from political parties for his alleged failure to exercise his authority in the matters related to the house business.
Last year, the opposition senators lambasted Sanjrani for not issuing the production orders of PTI’s Azam Swati who was arrested by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over “defamatory” social media posts against top military officials.
Rule 84 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012 provides that the chairman Senate or chairman of a Senate committee may summon a senator, in the related session(s), in custody on the charge of any offence or under any law relating to preventive detention.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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