ISLAMABAD: The united opposition in senate has agreed to take a more active role in the House, refusing to allow violations of rules and regulations, as well as the unrestricted use of discretionary powers.
The opposition senators prepared a memorandum expressing their reservations, which would be handed to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, at an over-an-hour-long meeting convened by Opposition Leader in the Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at Parliament House on Monday.
They claim that standing committees have been rendered ineffectual, and that they are not even permitted to constitute a subcommittee. Getting government officials to appear has gotten increasingly difficult.
“The chairman’s role has paralysed the Senate,” PPP Senator Taj Haider told reporters following the meeting.
“He is providing the government’s every convenience while crushing the opposition’s role.”
PML-N Senators from all parties, according to Senator Irfan Siddiqui, have expressed severe reservations about the Senate chairman’s role.
“If our concerns expressed to the chairman are not addressed, the next step would be proposed,” Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated.
He stated that only the minister of state for parliamentary affairs will be authorised to answer questions during Question Hour, as decided by the meeting.
“I have not seen such behaviour of a chairman of any party in my years of parliamentary life,” Senator Haider remarked. What a nonsense, there’s a Senate session one day, then two days off, then another meeting, then two days off. “It’s time for the joke to end.”
He stated that they were responsible to the people as well as “our conscience.”
Senator Siddiqui responded to a question by saying that, just as the opposition parties were banding together on a single goal outside of parliament, they “have also resolved to take a more active role inside parliament.”
Siddiqui said that the issue of a no-confidence resolution against the Senate chairman was not on the agenda for the meeting. “The leadership may examine this alternative later,” says the source.
