Rabbani summons Senate after PM’s assurance

ISLAMABAD: After categorical assurance on Saturday evening on behalf of the prime minister by Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar about the presence of ministers during the proceedings, Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani hinted at resumption of his official duty and summoned the Senate to meet on April 17 (Monday).

Dar had a series of meetings with Chairman Senate within 24 hours and the last one on Saturday evening yielded positive results.

Now, during the Monday’s sitting, Rabbani would present the matter before the senators and to take them into confidence on the developments, following an adjournment of the session and his offer of stepping down.

Besides Dar, Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq and several other senators, mostly belonging to the opposition parties, also had meetings with Rabbani.

Dar briefly talked to the media after his successful meeting with Rabbani to announce that the chairman Senate would summon the Senate session and ministers would also ensure their presence in the House. 

He was grateful to the veteran legislator, who had introduced a series of key reforms with regard to the Senate and its standing committees, for agreeing to summon the House.      

It was learnt that though Dar had held out assurances to Rabbani during his first meeting Friday, the chairman Senate wanted assurances from the prime minister and this was complied with on Saturday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to be present in the session on Monday along with his ministers.                         

Using his discretionary powers under paragraph (a) sub-rule 2 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, Rabbani had adjourned the 261st session Friday to protest perennial absence of ministers from the House and not sharing information by the ministries on the written queries asked by the senators.

He had also offered to resign, if the government so desired but insisted on ensuring prestige and privilege of the House of Federation.                   

Needless to say, Rabbani is among the very few politicians, who enjoy respect of the treasury and opposition benches not only in the Senate, but also in the National Assembly. 

The House of Federation has representation in the Public Accounts Committee and this is one of the major achievements of the Senate during the ongoing stint of Rabbani as chairman.

Rabbani has repeatedly underlined the need for giving due importance to parliament and that people’s problems must be solved through the legislature otherwise, if even in future, in case of an intervention, masses would not come to the rescue of a civilian government.            

The Senate Secretariat issued an announcement that the chairman Senate had been pleased to reconvene the Senate sitting on Monday at 4:00 p.m.