Anomalies in polls: Senate’s representation in probe body still unclear

ISLAMABAD: Ambiguity still persists on whether or not the Senate will get representation in the proposed special committee of the National Assembly on probing anomalies in the conduct of the 2018 general elections, as the Upper House resumes session today (Monday).

Leader of the House in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz on Wednesday had assured the senators that the situation would be clear hopefully by Monday. He maintained that a parliamentary commission will be formed to probe the matter.

Sources in the Senate Secretariat told The News that in response to a letter from the Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanrjani, the National Assembly had sent to them a copy of the motion, which talks about first framing of terms of reference (ToRs).

“Let us see how things shape up during the week. The government may have afterthoughts. But we can’t say anything at this stage,” the sources said.

Sanjrani had written to the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser for adequate representation of the Senate in the proposed special committee. Legislators across the aisle in the House have strongly objected over being left out in the special committee and some even went to the extent of having a parallel special committee of the Senate on the matter, if they were ignored representation in the NA committee.

The PkMAP Senator Usman Kakar and Javed Abbasi of the PML-N called on Shibli Faraz to talk to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the matter instead of writing letters to the NA speaker. They insisted that the voice for investigation into elections was raised formally from the Senate on the basis of an adjournment motion.

Javed Abbasi asserted that through this committee, the government might try to push the issue under the carpet, whereas the prime minister and leader of the House had promised to allay reservations of the opposition with regard to the election conduct.

Former chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani also raised strong objections to the Senate having been left out in the special committee to probe anomalies in the elections.

“The special committee should, in actual fact, have been a parliamentary committee i. e. with members from both Houses of Parliament,” he emphasised.

Rabbani emphasised that the reason for not including members of the Senate was untenable.

“It is unfortunate that the newly elected National Assembly in its first session has dealt a blow to the unity and supremacy of Parliament. By including only members of the National Assembly in the special committee, it can be said that one cannot be a judge in one’s own case,” he regretted.

“A further blow has been dealt to parliamentary tradition, wherein, it has been agreed that the chairman of the committee shall be nominated by the prime minister, parliamentary tradition in international jurisdictions as well as our own has been that, House committees had their chairman elected by the committee itself or the speaker is authorised by the House to nominate the chairman. This is yet another step towards undermining the authority of the speaker and the House,” he pointed out.

Senators Sana Jamal and Kalsoom Perveen’s calling attention notice is listed on the orders of the day for today, being a private members day, to draw attention of the minister for planning, development and reforms towards the recent report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), according to which Balochistan has been declared as the poorest province in the world.

Moreover, Convener of the Special Committee on Circular Debt Shibli Faraz will present report of the committee on circular debt and also move for its consideration and adoption by the House.