Sartaj asked to brief Senate on Modi’s visit

Lawmaker expresses concern over PMs’ meeting at Jati Umra

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate chairman has summoned Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz to brief lawmakers on the Indian prime minister’s surprise visit to Pakistan and the army chief’s recent trip to Afghanistan.

On Monday, Senator Raza Rabbani asked the PM’s adviser to take lawmakers into confidence on Narendra Modi’s visit after the issue was raised by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Sehar Kamran. Sartaj has been told to brief the house today (Tuesday).



On a point of public importance, Senator Sehar had sought a briefing from the government over the Indian premier’s visit to Jati Umra, where he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his residence.

She welcomed the visit “if it could lessen tension at [the] borders”, but said the meeting could have taken place at the Governor House instead of Jati Umra.

Earlier, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar had suggested the Senate should raise its voice against the overstepping of institutions into other domains and that “a line [ought to] be drawn”. He highlighted the issue regarding the obligatory consultations with the Chief Justice of Pakistan for appointment of the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) chairman.



Babar said the SC, under its former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, had been issuing judgments during the PPP rule, asking for tailor-made legislation. “If the SC is asking government to make laws as per its directions, then it is also interfering in the affairs of parliament,” he alleged.



“Opinion of both the houses of parliament should be taken whether consulting with the chief justice over the appointment of FST chairman is interference in parliament affairs… and an appropriately worded resolution should also go from the house,” he added. Minister of State for Climate Change Zahid Hamid said the government had completed the legislation and appointed the FST chairman but then a question was raised before the SC. The SC has decided to constitute a larger bench over the issue and the matter is sub-judice so we should wait for the court’s decision, he added.

Change of rules

The Senate also amended its rules for informing members or issuing them notices through emails. Other amendments included the formation of a committee on delegated legislation in line with international practices and addition of a new section, which states the private member bills passed by the Senate and sent to the National Assembly would not lapse on the retirement of a member.

Earlier, the house passed a resolution saying the families of terror victims in the country were not being looked after properly. The government has been asked to evolve a mechanism to take care of such families and provide them monthly financial assistance to enable them to lead respectable lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2015.