PTI govt may face uphill task to get laws passed from Senate

By Tariq Butt
August 01, 2018

ISLAMABAD: How challenging, rather impossible, will be for the next multiparty Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to do even ordinary legislation is amply reflected in the total control of the Senate by the opposition parties that has happened because of the new political alignments in the wake of July 25 general elections.

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Given the existing numerical strength of the component parties of the grand oppositio alliance, their tally now stands at 68, close to two-thirds majority in the 104-member Upper House of Parliament if none of the 17 independent senators is counted in their total. Opposing them will be future ruling coalition whose numerical power comes to just thirty-six senators if all the senators are put in its basket.

Meanwhile, keeping in view this number game, the fate of incumbent Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani also hangs in the balance if the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), in collaboration with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had voted for him to humble the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) changes its mind and withdraws its support to him. The opposition is in such a comfortable position in the Upper House that it can any time vote out Sanjrani, elected in March this year in a dubious manner. The opposition parties will opt for such a consequence only after working out give and take, acceptable to all sides. Among them, the PML-N is the largest party followed by the PPP. The two bigger forces may hammer out a formula of distribution of top offices in consultation with their other associates.

The Senate scenario, and the situation emerging in the National Assembly where the PTI will lead a numerically weak, unstable government, will amplify the problems of the next ruling coalition to pass even a simple law or amend an existing one. The passage of a constitutional amendment is ruled out. In view of this developing picture, what will happen to the massive reform and political agenda that Imran Khan has been projecting and selling over the past five years? His administration may remain hamstrung in the legislative sphere.

However, it will be able to do any legislation only with the cooperation of the entire opposition or some of its partners, especially those which have a significant power in the Senate. In the past, all the constitutional amendments and even important ordinary law like the Elections Act, 2017, had always been approved after a universal consensus among the parliamentary players. Whenever any side attempted to bring a piece of legislation of its choice, it remained stuck.

Under the Constitution, when a law is passed by one chamber but is rejected by the other, it is referred to the joint parliamentary session. The combined opposition parties will have majority even in the joint session of the Senate and National Assembly.

Considering the post-election political shape, the opposition parties include the PML-N, PPP, National Party (NP), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakhtunkhwa Awami Milli Party (PkMAP).

The coalition side comprises the PTI, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Functional League being part of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which have presence in the Senate. Its other partners including the PML-Q and Awami Muslim League (AML) of Sheikh Rasheed have no representation whatsoever in the Upper House.

Of the opposition parties, the PML-N has thirty-three senators; the PPP has twenty MPs; ANP has one member; Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has four senators; NP has five MPs; PkMAP has three members and Jamaat-e-Islami has two senators. Their number comes to 68 if none of the 17 independent senators is added to them.

Of the coalition partners, the PTI has 12 senators; MQM-P has five members; Functional League has one MP; and BNP-M has one lawmaker. All of them are only 19 senators. Then, there are seventeen independent senators elected from the tribal areas and Balochistan. If they are counted in favour of the next government, its tally climbs to 36.

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