Senate chief seeks reply from PM over ministers' absence

Perturbed over continuous absence of ministers from the house, chairman senate Sadiq Sajnrani on Friday sought reply from Prime Minister Imran Khan over no-show of his cabinet members to respond the business of their respective ministries. For the second consecutive day, joint opposition protested over the vacant front rows, meant for ministers, soon after the house resumed proceedings. Leader of the house in senate, Shibli Faraz agreed that the ministers should be around on time and explained that some are on their way to the parliament house.
"This is not acceptable and the ministers should be here in time. Should the house wait for them? On my behalf, write to the Prime Minister that his ministers don't come to the Senate and he should reply to this. I show my displeasure on this," said Sanjrani. Earlier, former chairman senate Raza Rabbani, PML-N senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi and other senators were on their feet to urge the chair to adjourn the proceedings until the ministers make their way to the house.
"We will stage walkout and return on the arrival of the ministers," Abbasi said. Joint opposition senators then walked out of the house.
The house lacked quorum after count was made. The chair ordered ringing of bells for five minutes and when the bells were stopped, minister for revenue Hammad Azhar stepped in and so did the opposition senators. The minister protested over the request of senator Sherry Rehman conveyed to the chairman senate for deferring her calling attention notice for a week. "It is the second calling notice on the order of the day and the senator concerned has not come to the house, whereas they object to us; they object to a minister of state and want a federal minister to respond to their queries. Millions are spent on proceedings and it is wastage," the minister retorted.
The chair responded that the senator was not feeling well and that is why she made request for deferring her notice.
MQM-Pakistan senator Nighat Mirza raised the issue of alleged direct firing by the Saudi Arabian police on Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian employees for protesting over non-payment of their salaries, which resulted in injuries to some Pakistanis. The chair asked the senate secretariat to seek a report from the ministry of foreign affairs on this matter.