ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the Senate alleged that upper house of the parliament was being ruled by the “tyranny of the majority”—as the house concluded its debate on the federal budget on Tuesday.
“Tyranny of the majority is ruling the roost in this house,” said Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz in the Senate session.
He said the questions and the calling attention notices moved by the opposition lawmakers are rendered inadmissible and not taken up in the house business.
He demanded of Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani to take stock of the situation.
“This is a very dangerous tradition; this is something very, very condemnable. I think this will bring a bad name to your very illustrious career,” Faraz said, addressing the chairman.
He said pertinent questions related to economic matters and other issues that were moved by the opposition lawmakers since the start of last month were rendered inadmissible and not allowed to be taken up in the respective Senate sessions.
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Faraz also slammed Sherry Rehman, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader in Senate, for “unilaterally” moving the resolution (against extremism) in the Senate session earlier on Monday.
The PPP parliamentary leader did not take the opposition into confidence before moving this resolution that was passed by the house, he said. “Why should we feel that we are children of lesser God, why should we? At the moment we are feeling that— this is what is happening,” he said, alleging that opposition was being sidelined in the crucial house business affairs.
Responding to the opposition leader, the chairman Senate assured him that his reservations would be addressed. “I would look into the points you have raised—I assure you, you would not feel this way—we have worked together in past and we will continue to do so,” he said. Taking the floor, Rehman denied that she did not take opposition into confidence regarding Monday’s resolution. “We tried to get this resolution signed by you—but you were just not ready to listen—you were not in the mood to hear anything,” she said, referring to opposition’s protest during her speech against the proposed Azm-e-Istehkam military operation on Monday.
“It is not possible that treasury moves a resolution without taking opposition into confidence—but you were protesting and all that—what were we supposed to do?”
She said extremism and mob lynching were too serious issues to be taken up in the house’s routine business.
Rehman rejected the opposition leader’s allegation that house was being ruled by the tyranny of the majority, accusing Faraz of being “stiff-necked and angry all the time.”
On the federal budget, the PPP senator said the Senate should have the power to pass the budget like the National Assembly.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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