ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament met on Tuesday to start its last (308th) session to bid farewell to 52 retiring senators who would complete their tenure tomorrow (Thursday).

Presiding over the Senate sitting, Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani announced that the session would continue for three days from Tuesday till Thursday and preference would be given in the ongoing session to retiring senators to share their views on the floor of the House.

The Chairman admired retiring Senator Abdul Rehman Malik from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for his “unmatched services to Parliament and public.”

Malik thanked the Chairman Senate and members of the Upper House of Parliament for “recognising and applauding his contribution and hard work as Chairman Senate Standing Committee and member of the House.”

He said he would continue to work for the wellbeing of his “beloved country and serve the people of Pakistan and raising his voice for the oppressed people of Kashmir at all forums.”

Senators including Sherry Rehman, Mir Kabir Shahi, Sassui Palijo among others shared their views on the occasion. Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem presented a resolution regarding Women’s Day that was unanimously passed by the House.

Some 52 senators are retiring but elections were scheduled to be held on 48 Senate seats. Out of these seats, senators on all the 11 Punjab seats were elected unopposed and elections on remaining 37 seats were held on March 3. Following FATA’s merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four erstwhile FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) seats stood abolished in recently held Senate elections following the retirement of the four senators while as many seats would be abolished in Senate elections scheduled in 2024 following the scheduled retirement of the remaining four senators elected on erstwhile FATA seats. Senate polls were scheduled on 12 seats each of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, 11 seats of Sindh and two seats of Islamabad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021