First-ever synopsis of a Senate session released

During the 122nd session, four bills were passed while attendance remained 61 per cent

ISLAMABAD: Setting a new tradition, the upper house of parliament on Wednesday issued for public use and publication in the media the first-ever synopsis of businesses transacted in the Senate during its recently concluded 122nd session.

Senate Secretariat issued session-wise synopsis and released the summary of recently concluded session on special directions of the Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, said a statement. Public petitions, disclosure of senators’ salary and privileges and the members’ attendance are the other initiatives the Senate has taken after Rabbani took over as chairman



Besides other qualitative information, the synopsis includes issues discussed as well as parliamentary instruments used in accountability and the legislations carried out.

The 122nd session had 13 sittings comprising 42 hours and 45 minutes to be precise. During the session, four bills were passed while attendance remained 61 per cent on average.

The government had laid four ordinances before the upper house but in an unprecedented move, which left the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government frothing at the mouth, the Senate repealed the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Ordinance, 2015, (Ordinance No. XVII of 2015).

The ordinance was laid in the Senate on December 15, 2015 and stood disapproved upon passage of a resolution on December 31 with the help of opposition’s numerical superiority over the government.

During the session, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz briefed the house on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed over the progress on National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif took the house into confidence regarding army chief’s visit to Afghanistan.

Interestingly, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led opposition in the Senate remained dissatisfied with these briefings and after each of them the Leader of Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan said they had nothing new.

The house passed eight resolutions sponsored by the members and the first one was for expressing solidarity with the families of the students and staff who were martyred in the December 2014 attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School.

The Senate also urged the government – through a resolution, which, according to rules was not binding like others – to strictly implement law to disallow the resurrection of banned outfits with new names and for provision of financial assistance to the families of victims of terrorism. In addition, six consensus resolutions were passed after suspension of rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2016.