Rabbani calls for intra-institutional dialogue
Presents details of his assets in Senate before leaving office of chairman
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani. PHOTO: FILE PHOTO
ISLAMABAD:
Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has called for intra-institutional dialogue to avert any possible clash between them.
In his farewell remarks on the concluding day of the last session of the current Senate whose half members would be retiring on March 11, outgoing chairman said he has decided to withhold his ruling on trichotomy of power keeping in view the fragile situation.
Rabbani presented details of his assets to the Senate secretary before leaving the office of chairman. He submitted the details at the time of taking charge of the coveted office three years back.
He said if he took oath for his next term as senator on March 12, he would place the 72-page ruling he has authored on the subject before the house.
Raza Rabbani didn't oppose Nawaz Sharif's unconstitutional acts: Asif Zardari
Rabbni’s use of word, ‘if’, created speculation that he might not take oath on Monday after sarcastic reaction from former president Asif Ali Zardari over his nomination for the slot of chairman Senate for the next three years.
However, the speculations appeared to have died down later in the evening when PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and some other PPP leaders accosted him.
Rabbani said he proposed a way forward to avoid any possible clash of institutions in the ruling he has authored.
Rabbani said, “For the smooth functioning of the system, every institution must remain within the limit the Constitution has ascribed for them.”
Referring to his meetings with former chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and incumbent chief justice Saqib Nisar, he said, they had discussions about Article 175-A of the Constitution.
“This article of the constitution deals with procedure on appointment of judges of the superior judiciary.”
Rabbani said he hopes the next Senate chairman would continue the dialogue he initiated.
He also referred to the incumbent chief of army staff and other high officials of military and intelligence agencies coming to the Senate for an in-camera session.
Rabbani said the army is an institution under the executive, but in reality it has become a stakeholder.
Rabbani regretted that parliament itself surrendered its space. He said it is true that parliament had been dissolved in the past but when the country returned to the civilian rule, elected representatives endorsed the laws enacted by dictators.
Sharif, Fazl propose, Zardari opposes Rabbani’s nomination as Senate chairman
He also criticised abuse of power by successive governments by promulgating ordinances instead of using parliament to enact laws.
Senate chairman said there was a need to abrogate Article 89 to take away the power of the executive to issue ordinances.
He said there was also a need to enact a law that every agreement signed by the government of Pakistan should be ratified by parliament.
Rabbani has opposed the proposal of direct elections for the Senate, saying the idea negates the concept of the Senate envisioned by the framers of the Constitution.
He said the Committee of the Whole House on May 20, 2016 had proposed a mechanism and sent it to the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms but the proposal was later turned down by the panel.
The committee of the whole has proposed open ballot.
The last session of the current Senate was prorogued sine die.
The president has summoned the new session which would be 275th session of the Senate on Monday at 10am.
Newly elected members would take oath after which the house would elect its new chairman and deputy chairman.
Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has called for intra-institutional dialogue to avert any possible clash between them.
In his farewell remarks on the concluding day of the last session of the current Senate whose half members would be retiring on March 11, outgoing chairman said he has decided to withhold his ruling on trichotomy of power keeping in view the fragile situation.
Rabbani presented details of his assets to the Senate secretary before leaving the office of chairman. He submitted the details at the time of taking charge of the coveted office three years back.
He said if he took oath for his next term as senator on March 12, he would place the 72-page ruling he has authored on the subject before the house.
Raza Rabbani didn't oppose Nawaz Sharif's unconstitutional acts: Asif Zardari
Rabbni’s use of word, ‘if’, created speculation that he might not take oath on Monday after sarcastic reaction from former president Asif Ali Zardari over his nomination for the slot of chairman Senate for the next three years.
However, the speculations appeared to have died down later in the evening when PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and some other PPP leaders accosted him.
Rabbani said he proposed a way forward to avoid any possible clash of institutions in the ruling he has authored.
Rabbani said, “For the smooth functioning of the system, every institution must remain within the limit the Constitution has ascribed for them.”
Referring to his meetings with former chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and incumbent chief justice Saqib Nisar, he said, they had discussions about Article 175-A of the Constitution.
“This article of the constitution deals with procedure on appointment of judges of the superior judiciary.”
Rabbani said he hopes the next Senate chairman would continue the dialogue he initiated.
He also referred to the incumbent chief of army staff and other high officials of military and intelligence agencies coming to the Senate for an in-camera session.
Rabbani said the army is an institution under the executive, but in reality it has become a stakeholder.
Rabbani regretted that parliament itself surrendered its space. He said it is true that parliament had been dissolved in the past but when the country returned to the civilian rule, elected representatives endorsed the laws enacted by dictators.
Sharif, Fazl propose, Zardari opposes Rabbani’s nomination as Senate chairman
He also criticised abuse of power by successive governments by promulgating ordinances instead of using parliament to enact laws.
Senate chairman said there was a need to abrogate Article 89 to take away the power of the executive to issue ordinances.
He said there was also a need to enact a law that every agreement signed by the government of Pakistan should be ratified by parliament.
Rabbani has opposed the proposal of direct elections for the Senate, saying the idea negates the concept of the Senate envisioned by the framers of the Constitution.
He said the Committee of the Whole House on May 20, 2016 had proposed a mechanism and sent it to the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms but the proposal was later turned down by the panel.
The committee of the whole has proposed open ballot.
The last session of the current Senate was prorogued sine die.
The president has summoned the new session which would be 275th session of the Senate on Monday at 10am.
Newly elected members would take oath after which the house would elect its new chairman and deputy chairman.