Senate’s first sitting marred by walkouts

ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the Senate on Monday staged two walkouts registering their protest, one against Prime Minister Imran Khan for quickly leaving the House after delivering his speech.

The ex-chairman, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, wanted to respond to the speech of the prime minister, who had already left and wanted him back to listen to what the opposition had to say. Acting Chairman Saleem Mandiwala sent PTI Senator Muhammad Azam Swati for the premier. However, he returned empty-handed, enraging the opposition senators who criticised Imran for making a speech 'like a monarch' and then making an exit.

In protest, they stormed out of the House while PkMAP Senator Muhammad Azam Musakhail and Ch Tanvir of PML-N stayed back to point out the quorum. The bells were rung for five minutes on the direction of the chair. However, this did not help the treasury, leading to a premature adjournment of the session till Tuesday morning. The opposition senators had warned of staging the walkout if the prime minister did not return to listen to them. The Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, tried to pacify the opposition and noted that it was first day of the new session after Prime Minister Imran had taken the oath and he was present in the House which should be should have been appreciated by the opposition. Qureshi said that the prime minister had an engagement; his ministers were present to listen to Rabbani and take notes and ready to give reply. However, the opposition walked out, leading to quorum issue.

Opposition parties in the Senate on Monday walked out of Senate to demand formation of parliamentary commission for a thorough probe of general election held on July 25 Following the presentation of a report of the Standing Committee on Interior on the holding of free, fair and transparent elections/security of general elections, 2018 by its chairman Senator Abdul Rehman Malik of PPP made a statement thereon and said that political parties would be invited to the next meeting to find out if they had concrete evidence of rigging or any irregularity.

The newly-appointed Leader of Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq was on his feet to demand formation of a parliamentary commission on the recently-held polls, which should come up with a comprehensive report and address concerns of opposition parties.

He emphasised that they would stage token walk-out from the House, if they would not be given chance to speak on the issue and give their input thereon. “Mere discussion and question-and answer is not enough. The prevailing situation with regards to polls must be addressed,” he said amid chants by some opposition senators against what they alleged the interference by the establishment in the elections in favour of a particular party. Senator Raja Zafarul Haq then led the opposition's walk-out from the House.