Honour crimes, rights issues to echo in Senate

ISLAMABAD: A heated debate over honour killings and pending legislation on human rights are likely to echo in the Senate as lawmakers in the upper house gear up for another parliamentary session.

President Mamnoon Hussain has summoned the 250th session of the Senate on Monday (today). Following the budget session, a raft of national developments and lingering issues are queued up for dissection in the house.

PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar told The Express Tribune that he was planning to zero in on the so called honour killing cases. “It is high time to drive home the point that the clause of compromise should be deleted [from the anti-honour killings bill],” he said, observing that session of the upper house was coinciding with a meeting of the special committee on pending bills called on July 21.

Senator Babar also disclosed that he wanted to discuss the banners posted across the Pakistani capital of Raheel Sharif.

According to MQM Senator Tahir Mashadi, they will be highlighting matters of public interest.

Labelling the Panama leaks as a superficial issue, he said nothing would ever come out of it. “While ground realities exist for the common people, the issue of Panama leaks is for the rich, by the rich,” he commented.

PTI Senator Shibli Faraz enumerated a diversity of issues he would bring to the table. Adding that Indian atrocities in Kashmir and expressing solidarity with Turkey for upholding democracy will also come up for discussion.

He will also shed light on the selection of members of the ECP.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2016.