Raza Rabbani bars Khawaja Asif from attending Senate sessions

Senate chairman also issues four warnings to ministers who remained absent from the upper house of parliament sessions

ISLAMABAD: In a rare ruling, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Thursday barred Defence Minister Khawaja Asif from attending the upper house of parliament sessions as he did not show up in a number of times in the past.

"I cannot allow this house to become hostage to one person," Rabbani said while issuing the ruling against the defence minister.



Asif has become the first minister who received the ruling over his absence in the Senate as no minister has ever been barred from attending the session so far.

Earlier, the chairman had also issued four warnings to ministers who remained absent from the Senate sessions before giving the verdict against the defence minister.