ISLAMABAD: Rumpus ruled the Senate on Friday, with the opposition protesting against a presiding officer chairing the session in the presence of Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir. As a result, the chair abruptly adjourned the proceedings till Monday evening.

Initially Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani presided over the session, but Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan from the panel of presiding officers assumed the chair after Mr Gilani left the house to witness the oath-taking of his son as member of the National Assembly.

Soon after, PTI senator Fauzia Arshad said it was regrettable that Palwasha Khan was presiding over the session in the presence of the deputy chairman. Ms Khan replied that it was the chairman’s prerogative to make that decision, adding that the deputy chairman had arrived after she had already begun chairing the session. Amidst Senator Arshad’s interruption, Palwasha Khan repeatedly told the opposition benches to decide among themselves who they wanted to speak next.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz said: “Do not make a mockery of the house and do not damage its sanctity. This is no way that you make the deputy chairman a decoration piece.”

Senators reject proposal to include former husband’s name in women’s passports

Afterwards the deputy chairman left the house, but the protest continued.

The opposition leader and Palwasha Khan had an argument as the latter said the deputy chairman came in after her while Shibli Faraz insisted that Mr Nasir was already seated in the Senate.

Ms Khan asked the opposition leader to mind his tone to which the senator questioned the way she was speaking to him.

“I am speaking to you the same way you’re speaking to me,” she retorted as she turned to the treasury benches and ordered Rana Mehmoodul Hassan to be given the mike. As clamouring continued from the opposition benches, the presiding officer chastised them, saying: “Fine, continue to create a ruckus. I choose to ignore you.”

She subsequently ordered that PPP Senator Farooq Naek be given the mike to speak, saying: “I do not fall for this hooliganism, and this cannot go on.” As Naik attempted to speak, Shibli Faraz interrupted and said it was “shameful” that the PML-N sent its own deputy chairman out of the house to which Palwasha retorted: “It’s alright, he doesn’t have an issue with this.”

Asking which rule was violated by Palwasha Khan presiding over the session, Mr Naek said: “The Senate chairman gives a list of presiding officers, and who presides in his absence is the prerogative of the chairman. He can tell any presiding officer to preside over the session. And the way you are presiding right now, this is within the Senate rules.”

He reiterated that there was no violation of any rule with her presiding over the session. Agreeing with him, Palwasha Khan said the purpose of this uproar was just disruption.

She repeatedly asserted that no one could compel her to adjourn the session through “force and bullying”. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Attaur Rehman noted that the presiding officers come into picture only when the chairman and deputy chairman were not available.

He said that it was inappropriate for someone to become a presiding officer while the deputy chairman was present in the house. “It would be better if you call the deputy chairman to come and sit in this seat; that will be appropriate otherwise we will walk out against this behaviour,” Mr Rehman said.

Palwasha Khan responded by saying that she had been made a presiding officer in accordance with the rules. The opposition benches began raising slogans to which PML-N Senator Talal Chaudhry said: “I want to thank the opposition leader and PTI for showing so much love for the PML-N deputy chairman.”

The presiding officer subsequently adjourned the meeting till 5pm on Monday.

Earlier. the session also debated the recent issue of women having to carry their ex-husband’s name on passports with Senator Samina Mumtaz calling it “ridiculous”.

“Instead of improving our passport rankings, we’re discriminating against women,” she said, adding that, “if you want women to carry the names of their ex-husbands, then make men carry the names of their ex-wives too”.

Federal Housing Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada pointed out that the high court had struck down the proposal in an order and that it had given women the option to add their father’s name.

He suggested that the matter be referred to the standing committee if there were to be consultation on it. Senator Faraz said family laws also needed to be updated since the matter posed a problem to several women and families. He also suggested referring the matter to the standing committee.

Agreeing with him, Senator Attaur Rehman said the opinion of theCouncil of Islamic Ideologyshould also be taken, however, women senators objected to his proposals.

Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani termed women and minorities his constituency and referred the matter to the standing committee.

The Senate was also informed that Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway would be built soon.

Responding to a calling-attention notice, Federal Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada expressed the confidence that progress on the project would become visible in the next six months.

“We want to complete the project at the earliest in partnership mode,” he said, and disclosed that talks with China and other friendly countries were underway.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2024