Rigging investigation: Senators demand equal representation in probe panel

Upper house writes letter to NA speaker, demanding inclusion of senators in committee

ISLAMABAD: The members of the upper house of parliament have once again demanded that senators should be given equal representation in the panel approved to be formed through a National Assembly resolution to probe into the alleged rigging in the July 25 general election.

On Wednesday, the Senate met hardly for one-and-a-half-hour and was adjourned due to the lack of quorum. Strangely, both the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Saleem Manviwalla were absent during the entire sitting.

Senator Sitara Ayaz from the Awami National Party (ANP), a member of the panel of presiding officers, acted as presiding officer to chair the proceedings.

In response to demand of various lawmakers that senators should also be given membership in the parliamentary committee to probe polls, Sitara said the Senate has written a letter to the speaker NA requesting him to give equal representation to the senators in the said panel.

“We are going to have a long weekend due to Moharram and weekly holidays. As we meet again on Monday, the matter will hopefully be decided,” Sitara said. She endorsed the demand, saying it was their right to be part of a key parliamentary panel that was tasked to probe alleged rigging.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Rehman Malik also presented a report on general election. The report also recommended formation of a parliamentary panel to probe the opposition parties’ claims about foul play on July 25.

Apparently irked by absence of any federal minister or relevant government functionary during the Senate session, Sitara came down hard on the government officials, saying they were least interested in the proceedings of the upper house.

“This is such a non-serious attitude. It seems that the government is not serious at all in participating in the affairs of the parliament. There is no one from the government to respond to points of order, calling attention notices and relevant issues. This won’t work.”

She directed the Leader of the House Shibli Faraz to make ensure presence of federal ministers, parliamentary secretaries and relevant government officials during the related Senate sessions.

Facing lack of quorum, the chair later adjourned the Senate proceedings till Monday, 3 pm.

Meanwhile, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2018 was introduced in the Senate and was referred to the relevant Senate committee for further review.

The bill was to be moved by Federal Minister for Information Technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui but on account of his absence, State Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar introduced the bill.

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution for formation of a committee to be chaired by a member from the government side to probe into the opposition parties’ claim that the July 25, 2018 general election was rigged.

During the related NA session, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had presented the resolution calling for “a parliamentary committee to make Terms of References (ToRs) and probe the alleged rigging in the general election”.