The lawmakers in the Senate on Tuesday said that a powerful institution of the country has intruded into trichotomy of power - legislature, judiciary and executive - completely distorting the original concept of trichotomy of power. Senator Nasrin Jalil of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), said that the military has become part of trichotomy of power despite the fact it has no role in it.
"The state institution [military] has become a part of the trichotomy of power but it is neither ready to present itself for accountability nor anybody can dare make it accountable like other institutions," she maintained. About the issue of enforced disappearances, the MQM-P senator said that the number of missing person is increasing with each passing day, but no one can do anything against the institution [military] involved in picking up innocent people.
In an obvious reference to the military, Senator Nehal Hashmi of ruling PML-N said, "An institution has become a symbol of fear that everyone is referring to it that it will not spare you if anything went against its wish." In a veiled reference to the military, the PML-N senator who had already been indicted for threatening apex court judges and JIT member during the Panama Papers case, said: "A very bad trend has started that an institution is intimidating people, saying if you didn't do this, Ghabbar Singh will get you."
He said that any meeting of the Senate Committee of the Whole would be an exercise in futility as no institution, especially those which claim to be the most powerful, would listen to what this will say about balance of power. Senator Karim Khawaja of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said that unless all political parties become institutions, the military's 111 brigade would not hesitate to go an adventurism under one pretext or another.
Sajir Mir of PML-N said that for people who hold stick and guns - yet again a scathing attack on the military - the concept of trichotomy of power is useless as powerful institution would not allow it. "I am afraid to say that committee of the whole meeting will end up in smoke as all institution including the military and judiciary will turn up to the meeting and will endorse the idea which the Senate will float but at the end of the day, they have to do what they deem good for their institutions," he maintained.
He proposed that major political parties should agree on one point agenda: they will not topple each other's government no matter what, adding the Charter of Democracy was a step towards strengthening the teething democracy, but it was also not implemented. "We must make sure that we will not look to military to topple any party's government. If policies on economy, Kashmir, Afghanistan, foreign and internal, will be made by a single institution, allow me to say it is the start of doomsday," he said.
Senator Attaur Rehman of JUI-F stressed the need for correcting own errors instead of pointing fingers towards others, adding the politicians themselves are responsible for weakening the Parliament. "Politicians change their loyalties on a single call. They are dancing to the tune of others for the sake of power and join a party which suits some elements. There should be a law, barring politicians from switching over the parties," he added.
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani reserved his ruling on delay in announcement of National Finance Commission (NFC) Award by the government. Rabbani had requested the Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid to assist him with regard to the article that deals with NFC Award.
The minister briefed him about the said article. He said that an NFC award can not be extended as it remains enforced until the next award is announced. "The award is in perpetuity till next award [NFC] is announced," Rabbani questioned after the minister said that the award remains enforced till new award is announced. Rabbani also asked about a recent notification issued by the President of Pakistan, to which the minister said it was not in his notice.