Sanjrani allows resumption of Senate panel meetings

ISLAMABAD: Following the publication of a story on ban on holding meetings of parliamentary committees during the Senate session, Chairman Senate Mohammad Sadiq Sanjrani has reinstated the Senate Standing Committee meetings, effective November 25, 2023.

An official letter from the Senate Secretariat titled “Resumption of Senate Committee Meetings” on Wednesday stated that, in reference to the Committee Wing’s Circular of the same number, dated November 3, 2023, regarding the postponement of committee meetings, the chairman Senate has decided to restore the meetings of Senate committees from November 25, 2023. This decision was made with the approval of the competent authority.

Previously, senators from various political parties expressed concerns in a joint letter to the chairman Senate, labelling it a surprising and unusual move on his part. The senators referenced relevant rules and argued that it was a surprising and strange move that was not supported by the Senate Rules or established practices. The letter emphasised that there is no constitutional or procedural bar in the Constitution or the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012 stating that committee meetings cannot be held during the Senate Session.