Senate to discuss Palestine situation on 27th

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday summoned a requisitioned session of the Senate for October 27 (Friday) to discuss the grave Palestine situation and possibly adopt a condemnation resolution against Israeli barbarism.

The session, the first after the August 9 session, was summoned after the Pakistan Peoples Party, backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and some other parties, submitted a requisition in the Senate Secretariat on Friday last. The Senate will be meeting under Article 54 of the Constitution at 10:30am on Friday. A notification issued by the Senate Secretariat says: “In exercise of the powers, conferred by Clause 3 of Article 54, read with Article 61 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the chairman Senate has been pleased to summon the Senate to meet at the Parliament Building, Islamabad, on Friday, 27 October, 2023, at 10:30am”.

The Senate also issued a press release that is about the meeting of the Senate and that Leader of the House Senator Ishaq Dar and Parliamentary Leader of the BAP Senator Manzoor Kakar also wrote a letter to the chairman, requesting him to convene a meeting to discuss the situation in Palestine. Parliamentary sources insist that the letters are irrelevant in the context of the requisition application, which is the legal way of ‘pushing’ the Senate chairman for summoning a session. Otherwise, the government could summon the Upper House of the Parliament. Leader of Opposition in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem and all other political parties present in the Senate have also supported convening of the Senate session. The purpose of the upper house meeting is to express solidarity with Palestinian people and condemn the atrocities of Israeli occupation forces. Senators will get an opportunity to express their views during the meeting.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the founding day of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sanjrani has conveyed a message of solidarity and commitment to the people of AJK and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). October 24 marks the historic day when AJK was established in 1947, and this anniversary is celebrated with traditional zeal and unwavering national fervour. In his message, he emphasized the significance of this occasion and the enduring struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for self-determination. The message highlights the steadfast resolve of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their pursuit of self-determination and their determination to continue their struggle for the freedom of IIOJK in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The chairman Senate's message underlines the shared history, aspirations and destiny of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the need for unwavering support for the people of IIOJK. It calls for collective efforts to advocate their rights and work towards a peaceful resolution of the longstanding issue.

Meanwhile, the Senate Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU) convened a meeting with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) on Tuesday at the Parliament House. The meeting was attended by Director General (Coord/PDU) Senate Mir Shai Mazar Baloch, the PDU team, Head of Office AICS, Francesco Zatta, and Senior Advisor Imran Ashraf. The director general (Coord/ PDU) welcomed the AICS at the Parliament House and introduced them to the working of the Senate of Pakistan and the PDU. He also acknowledged the AICS work in varied areas in Pakistan.

Francesco Zatta highlighted that the AICS was actively engaged in areas like education, agriculture, irrigation, cultural heritage, climate change and soft loans and grants programs in Pakistan and so far had completed 49 projects. The main focus is to provide technical support, emphasizing innovative solutions and sustainable growth in all these areas. The discussion during the meeting underscored the alignment of shared visions and common goals between the two entities. The pivotal role played by standing committees and the Education Parliamentary Caucus (EPC) within the Senate was highlighted by the DG (PDU). Both parties emphasized the need for collaboration in areas of mutual interest, paving the way for comprehensive discussions on potential projects within key thematic areas. These areas include the proposed International Conference on Climate Change besides seminars addressing environmental issues, offering technical support to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), and fostering cooperation between the Senate's Education Parliamentary Caucus (EPC) and the AICS's radio program. The Italian government project “OliveCulture – Holistic and Multiprofessional Mechanism for a Pakistani Olive Oil Value Chain” supervised by the AICS was also discussed along with its positive contribution to Pakistan’s economy. This proposed collaboration presents promising opportunities, notably with the Senate of Pakistan in the process of establishing its Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), mirroring Italy's robust PBO.

In a notable development, the AICS expressed keen interest in incorporating the Senate of Pakistan into its new year plan, strengthening the collaborative efforts between the two entities and extending the collaboration with the Italian parliament. Both parties are eager to formalize their collaboration and take concrete steps toward realizing their shared goals for the betterment of Pakistan.