Half of the outgoing senators on Tuesday started bidding adieu to Upper House of Parliament, amid mixed reactions - some calling their stay wonderful while other disappointed terming the house just like a 'debating club'.
Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded Senator Salim Saifullah Khan said that every legislator should work for inculcating nationalism among the masses, leaving aside the provincialism and making regional powers blocks, which would not be in the best interest of the country.
"We think less as a nation and hence are lagging behind in building national institutions...we are concentrating more on personal gains, which ultimately brings the nation to this stage politically and economically," he added. He noted that he came to the house for the first time in 1985 along with Professor Khurshid Ahmad and took oath at a small building, adjacent to State Bank of Pakistan, where Senate used to be housed. "We are leaving with a heavy heart but with weight on our shoulders," he said in his farewell speech.
While addressing Chairman Senate Dr Farook H Naek, renowned Baloch Senator Dr Abdul Malik said that during the last four years, PPP had not done any favour to him. However, he said the thing which he would miss is Naek's catch phrase - 'kya kehtei hein'. He also said that the second he would miss, would be the promises often made with the members by interior minister Rehman Mailk on the floor of the house. "Rehman Malik used to make promises with us whether it was fetching stars from the sky, though it was not possible, yet he often promised to do that for us...", he added.
In her last speech, the articulate Nilofar Bakhtiar said that she had some regrets, which she could not forgot. She recalled that the house did not stand by her when he moved a resolution to condemn killing of former governor Salman Taseer's tragic assassination. Her second disappointment, she added, when her colleagues refused to put their signatures in a resolution, prepared by her for restoration of deposed judges in 2007. "I'll pursue my unfinished and incomplete agenda outside this house, which I failed to accomplish during my nine-year stay in this house...adieu sir, till we meet again," she added.
Another outgoing senator Hafiz Rashid called for giving a legal status to the federally administered tribal areas (Fata). He said that there exists no law and the political agent runs the agency according to his own sweet will. Senator Gulshan Saeed showered praise on fellow women colleagues, saying they made their mark no less than their male counterparts sitting in the house. "The female senators did their jobs in a wonderful way...am sure they will tread the same path in future", she added.
Senator Kalsoom Perveen said: "You've built a legacy that will outlast you and will endure in the annals of this house, Farewell, Mr chairman, this house will miss you and we will never forget you," she added. Senator Abdul Khaliq Pirzada of MQM voice cracked as he wrapped up his remarks: "I'd heard a lot about this parliament and I'm leaving without knowing anything about it after six years," he remarked.
The 18th, 19th and the most recently the 20th constitutional amendments, he added, were declared as hallmark of this parliament by all political parties. "What sort of politics is this, what we did for the poor...I still could not understand despite repeated efforts and being an author of 107 books," he remarked.
He went on saying that they miserably failed to fight against feudalism amd ensuring rights of poor masses. "My experience here was like some beautiful bird flapped into a drab little cage and thank you very much for making those walls dissolve away," he gave a sarcastic smile to the chair.
WALKOUT The Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded senators staged a token walkout against turning down leave applications of its MPA Arbab Ghulam Rahim by Sindh Provincial Assembly. Arbab Ghulam Rahim has been sending leave applications for every session of the provincial assembly from Dubai for the last four years. The enraged senators said that it is the right of every member, to seek leave from the house. They returned to the house after PPP chief whip Islamuddin Sheikh assured them their concern would be conveyed to the Sindh Provincial Assembly and was optimistic that needful will be done.
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