With the Women Protection Bill most likely to be on top of the agenda, President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday summoned the Senate to meet on November 21. According to a notification, the Senate will meet for its 33rd session at the Parliament House on Tuesday at 5:00 pm. The upcoming session may last for two or three days.
The government ignored the joint opposition's requisition, filed earlier this week, to summon a regular session so that official items, including the bill, should be on the agenda.
Senate chairman has the privilege to summon a session on the basis of a requisition, filed by not less than 25 senators. Again, the rules mandate him to prorogue it sine die. A session has to be summoned within 14 days after a requisition is filed.
The requisitioned session is expected to be stormy, if and when it is summoned, as the opposition has already filed a number of adjournment motions, privilege motions, calling attention notices and questions on various issues, including apparently uncontrollable price hike of essential kitchen times. The Bajaur and Dargai incidents and POL pricing formula are the issues that would generate a lot of heat in the House.
MMA senators are poised to oppose the women protection bill, as did their colleagues in National Assembly. Opposition sources said that PPPP would support the bill while Pakistan Muslim League (N) and other opposition groups would abstain.
Following its approval by Senate, it would become law after President Musharraf's signature. Meanwhile, Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali on Saturday filed a privilege motion with the Senate secretariat, seeking action against the political administration for stopping him to visit Bajaur agency. "My privilege as a pubic representative had been breached when I was stopped from visiting Bajaur agency to condole with the bereaved families of the seminary attack," he has contended in the motion.
He alleged that security forces resorted to firing and tear-gassing, thus denying him, as the public representative a visit to the locality.
Under rules, it is not the prerogative of Senate chairman, but of the House to decide whether a privilege motion should be defended on the floor or be referred to the privileges committee.