The revitalisation and rejuvenation of the role of the Senate since the unanimous election of Senator Raza Rabbani as its 9th Chairman in March 2015 recalls the popular advertisement aired on television channels: 'the difference of one'. It's an advertisement basically about the environment, but it has a broader resonance, namely, how one determined person with a passion to change, can make a difference for the better.
In a country like Pakistan, where institutions are weak, an individual does make a difference, which has been the case with the Senate of Pakistan where, in large measure, the creative and dynamic leadership of Senator Raza Rabbani has transformed what was once derided as a 'glorified debating club' into a relevant and pivotal pillar of the Constitution in Pakistan's fledgling democracy.
Three areas of change are noteworthy in the institutional 'coming of age' of the Senate during this period. First, institution-building has been the priority with the work culture of the Senate streamlined, making it more professional, democratic and representative, with reforms both symbolic and substantive. Punctuality was never a parliamentary norm in Pakistan, with sessions usually starting late. Senator Rabbani as Chairman changed that, with sessions beginning on time, completing the entire agenda during the sitting, plus allowing time for any Senator to raise any issue on a point of public importance, with sequential adherence to the listed agenda. The Senate's distinct identity as the House of the Federation has been formally enshrined in the emblem, Senate badges given to Senators, mandatory attendance of senior officials of Ministries under discussion, discussion of reports laid in the House, and accountability of the executive via periodic reports by Ministers about their performance before the Senate.
In the past, the Chairman exercised his discretion to 'kill' any Adjournment or Privilege Motion presented by Senators in his chamber on an arbitrary 'pick-and-choose' basis. This is no longer the case, all such motions now go before the whole House, which decides what to accept or what to reject. The Council of Chairmen (of Senate Standing Committees), another dormant body, now meets regularly, sharing experiences and discussing their problems. The same applies to constituting the Senate as a 'Committee of the Whole House' on major issues of national importance, which saw the Chief Justice of Pakistan addressing Senators for the first time in the Senate Hall, a plus for inter-institutional harmony.
A Great Leap Forward in the Senate's quest for institution-building as a Constitutional pillar has been the decision of inclusion of Senators, for the first time in Pakistan's parliamentary history, in the reconstituted Public Accounts Committee of both houses.
Second, despite being an elected upper chamber of Parliament, the Senate had only a loose link with the public, whose input was hardly visible. The provision of Public Petitions in the rules, lying dormant for decades, has been activated with any citizen now directly petitioning the Senate Chairman for a resolution of their problems. These petitions are then directed to the relevant Standing Committee, which then takes it up in its meetings. For example, the Senate Defence Committee, upon receipt of such a petition from the next of kin of martyrs of the Army Public School massacre in Peshawer, resolved issues of compensation to the satisfaction of heirs to the deceased.
To promote public transparency, salaries and allowances of all Senators are now published online including any gifts received, there is live webcasting of Senate proceedings, the Senate has a new, informative, user-friendly website, with all decisions of meetings duly minuted and published on the website.
Proactively responding to problems faced by the people is another facet of the revitalised Senate. For instance, when Chitral, in Pakistan's remote northern corner, faced flooding, dislocation and homelessness, the Senate acted promptly by despatching relief goods through a 3-person delegation of Senators who went to Chitral. Or when the great national hero, Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away, the Senate donated 4 ambulances (for each unit of the federation) to the Edhi Foundation to pay tribute to this icon of humanitarianism.
Third, the Senate is today a vibrant, issue-oriented House of Parliament, bubbling with ideas with a doers approach, where ideas and action go together. Whether it is the provision of providing Machine Readable Passports facility for overseas Pakistanis in our missions abroad, whether it is saving national assets like the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC) from the clutches of the real-estate property mafia, making foreign scholarships for students transparent or protecting and promoting the rights of the voiceless and the most oppressed like the marginalised communities, the Senate has proven to be in the vanguard of defence of the defenceless through debate, discussion and policy direction.
The message emanating from these initiatives is that the Senate is not just another building in Islamabad's concrete jungle, but a vibrant and lively institution that responds to and cares for the interests and welfare of all segments of society, particularly the deprived.
The Senate would not have been able to achieve all this in such a short span, were it not for excellent team work and meticulously prepared home work on issues facing it. Since all decision-making is by consensus through consultation, the House Business Advisory Committee, comprising parliamentary leaders from both sides of the aisle, has now taken on the makings of a 'Senate Politburo', meeting regularly, discussing issues threadbare and taking decisions collectively!
Given Pakistan's chequered track record in democratic functioning, a 'cribbing culture' developed with negativism the norm. F - Fence, the restoration of the rightful role of the Senate is a refreshing 'aberration' since it implies a reaffirmation of hope and faith in the future of democracy through performance and delivery. Only then will people have a stake in democracy and come out in the streets to defend it as 'their own', as testified by the recent example of Turkey.
The Senate's proactive role in today's democracy is in congruence with the vision of the Founder of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah who said: 'Democracy is in our blood, indeed, it is in our marrows. Only centuries of adverse circumstances have made the circulation of that blood cold." Upholding the Constitution, the supremacy of Parliament with the Senate as the harbinger of fresh initiatives that preserve, protect and promote the Rule of Law would greatly contribute to transforming this democratic vision of the Founding Father into a living reality for the 21st Century Pakistan, Insh Allah.
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