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Published 04 Oct, 2017 02:46pm

Opposition requisitions Senate session to discuss 'conflict between institutions'

Members of the Upper House on Wednesday requisitioned a Senate session to discuss the "growing conflict between institutions of the state."

Opposition party leaders, most notably Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, have recently been increasingly critical of the government for 'creating conflict' between the institutions.

The request was filed days after Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal lashed out at the Panjnad Rangers after they inexplicably took over security of an accountability court where Nawaz Sharif had appeared for a hearing even though their deployment had not been requisitioned by the relevant authorities.

The Rangers had barred PML-N leaders, lawyers, journalists and supporters of the ousted prime minister from entering the premises of the Federal Judicial Complex during Sharif's accountability hearing.

The resulting ruckus had raised several as yet unanswered questions regarding who had given the order for the Rangers to be deployed at the complex if the interior minister himself, as he claimed, was unaware of the move.

The requisition notice filed today, signed by members of the opposition and acquired by DawnNews, carries a nine-point agenda which also includes a call for a discussion over the indictment of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Dar was indicted by an accountability court last week in a corruption reference filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

NAB filed the Supreme Court-mandated reference against Dar for "possessing assets beyond his known sources of income".

The opposition has sought a discussion in Senate on the continued holding of the finance minister's office by a person "indicted with grave financial crimes".

Furthermore, the agenda also calls for a discussion on the possibility of the appointment of a disqualified person to an office in a political party.

The requisition, therefore, places on the agenda of the Senate a discussion of the Elections Act 2017, which the government recently bulldozed through the National Assembly despite strong protests from the opposition.

Following the move, Nawaz Sharif had been re-elected PML-N head unopposed on Tuesday.

The agenda also calls for a discussion on reservations regarding the recently-held population and housing census, enforced disappearances and the water shortage in the country.

PPP seeks discussion on Kulbhushan Jadhav

Separately, the PPP filed a motion in the Senate Secretariat calling for a discussion on the case of Indian spy Kulbashan Jadhav being heard in the International Court of Justice ─ the United Nation's legal arm.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in April. In May, India moved the ICJ against Pakistan, accusing the latter of violating the Vienna Convention in the case of the Indian spy.

During the hearing of the case at the Peace Palace in The Hague on May 15, Pakistan maintained that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction to hear the Indian application.

On May 18, announcing its verdict in the case, the ICJ had rejected Pakistan's arguments and issued an order staying the execution of the Indian spy.

The motion filed by Senator Sehar Kamran states that the government has failed at pleading Pakistan's case before the ICJ and therefore, the international court has halted the execution of the Indian spy.

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