MQM returns to Senate today

ISLAMABAD: The Senate meets here at the Parliament House today (Monday) for the 121st session, wherein senators belonging to the MQM will formally withdraw their resignations.
The forum will meet at 3:00pm, a day after the local government elections’ first phase conducted in Punjab and Sindh, which saw at least 14 falling prey to poll violence.
The Upper House of Parliament will be meeting at a crucial juncture, when the nation is trying to cope with the aftermath of the massive earthquake, which hit Pakistan on October 26.
Therefore, the Senate is expected to mainly focus on the natural disaster, besides some other key issues, during its first sitting that is otherwise a private members day.
“We will separately submit applications to the Senate Secretariat for withdrawal of our resignations and then be part of the proceedings afterwards,” said Muttahida Qaumi Movement parliamentary leader in the Senate Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, when The News approached him on phone to get an update on their resignations following their party’s agreement with the government after their demands were accepted.
Mashhadi said they would meet the Senate Chairman, Mian Raza Rabbani, prior to making their way to the House. He contended MQM members of the National Assembly will also attend its new session which is scheduled for November 06.
The MQM senators had tendered resignations to protest the ongoing Karachi operation and the government’s no to their demand for formation of a Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC). However, after the government agreed to their demand, the MQM is poised for a comeback to parliament and the provincial legislature shortly.
“We appreciate and are grateful to the prime minister and MQM chief for their in parliamentary democracy and resolution of issues through talks. We also believe that the rule of law will be upheld in purging Karachi of terrorists and criminal elements,” Mashhadi said.
It will be interesting to see how the senators belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would react to their return to the legislatures as it has rejected the GRC.
Similarly, another aspect of the upcoming session is that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission has issued arrest warrants of incumbent Senator Sitara Ayaz of Awami National Party. She served as the social welfare minister in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, led by the ANP. Opposition senators are likely to criticise the government for allegedly selective accountability of those belonging to the opposition parties.
Already, Leader of the Opposition Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and other opposition senators had agitated on the mode of accountability with particular reference to the Sindh government’s functionaries.
PPP’s Senator Abdul Rehman Malik will move a motion for discussion in the House on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s confession in Bangladesh that India had played a role in breaking up Pakistan.
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Senator Sardar Azam Musakhail’s resolution has been listed on the orders of the day, which said that the vacant posts in the PIMS should be filled, keeping in view the regional quota to improve its performance and solve the administrative issues.
It is significant to note that the 121st session will be held days after Lt-Gen (retd) Nasir Khan Janjua has been appointed as the National Security Adviser, the post previously held by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.