Flamboyant Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, who is set to retire in March, has ordered refurbishment of Senate Hall which is in a shambles as previous chairmen paid no heed to renovate the building constructed about four decades ago. A senior official at Senate Secretariat said that Rabbani was not going to initiate the refurbishment project, but agreed after the house business advisory committee showed skepticism that new chairman may not take any interest in renovation of the hall.
During Friday session, Rabbani said that the upcoming two sessions of Senate will be held in National Assembly Hall and the new chairman will implement the refurbishment plan. The Upper House is set for refurbishment, for which all formalities have been met and even design is ready but since the term of the incumbent chairman will end early next month, now it will be up to the new chairman to approve the planned refurbishment or amend it.
MQM Senator Nighat Mirza rose to shower praise on Rabbani for his outstanding three-year stint but quipped that the Senate Hall needs his attention too. She particularly mentioned dirty carpet in the hall and wished that light weight senators would make their way to the Senate. Upon this, Rabbani smilingly said that he was focused on the same and all formalities have been met, even tenders have been floated and a firm has been short-listed out of three for the job. Rabbani noted that three to four months are required for refurbishment and therefore, with the permission of National Assembly, at least two Senate sessions would have to be conducted in National Assembly Hall.
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