Uproar in Senate over CJP’s remarks

PML-N senators say only parliament represents people; PTI insists legislature is actually incomplete

ISLAMABAD:

 

The Senate on Friday witnessed a heated debate between the treasury and the opposition members as both locked horns over Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s remarks about parliament during a hearing on Thursday.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers said that the chief justice’s remarks came on an appeal against the amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, which had not been related to the elections.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators openly supported the observations made by CJ Bandial, saying that parliament was actually “incomplete” because the largest political party of the country had been kept out, deliberately.

Heading a three-member bench on the appeal against the NAB law amendments on Thursday, CJ Bandial observed that that the problems facing the country could only be addressed through the people’s decision.

The CJP said, “The current parliament has been systematically kept incomplete”, adding that the legislation taking place in the current “parliament is also becoming controversial” as a result.

He said that the present parliament was deliberately kept incomplete.

During the hearing the federal government’s lawyer contended that the court should not govern the country. The chief justice replied that the court did not wish to run the country but a political vacuum was difficult for the people.

The chief justice’s remarks echoed in the Senate session, chaired by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The issue was raised in the house by PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui. He said that parliament was the representative of the people of Pakistan and not the judiciary nor the armed forces.

Siddiqui said that the chief justice had given such remarks that had no direct relation to either parliament or the elections. He added that the chief justice called only one prime minister honest, who would probably be Muhammad Khan Junejo.
“Who gave him the privilege to call everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest,” Siddiqui asked. “Have we [parliamentarians] ever named a single judge and said that only one judge is honest,” he added. “Let us make it clear, we respect the judiciary.”

He emphasised that parliament was the representative of the people and that the lawmakers enacted the law after due deliberations. “How did the chief justice say that parliament became controversial? Don’t take the whip and beat parliament on its back every day,” the senator added.

Leader of the Opposition Shehzad Waseem of the PTI supported the chief justice’s remarks, saying that the largest party had been kept out. “Parliament is really incomplete,” he said. However, he stressed that criticism must not be taken as contempt.

“If the chief justice pointed out something, it should be taken as criticism, and not contempt,” Waseem told the house. “If elections are not held in 90 days, then close the book of Constitution and open the gates of civil unrest,” he warned.

PTI Senator Shibli Faraz was more critical to the speech of Siddiqui. He said that the PML-N senator “says that the Supreme Court is giving us direction, but they [the ruling coalition] should be ashamed that you used this house” to amend the NAB laws. “You are trying to save the corruption of your leaders.”

‘Century of ministers’

Earlier, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed noted the absence of ministers and criticised them for not attending the session. He said five more ministers had been added to the cabinet and “it seems that very soon the century of the ministers will be completed”. He added that the prime minister would have to appoint a separate minister for counting these ministers.

PML-N’s Asif Kirmani, meanwhile, criticised his colleagues on the treasury benches for the shortage of petrol in the market. “The petrol mafia is challenging the government's writ. If the petroleum minister were here today, I would ask him if the petrol mafia is out of control.”

Meanwhile, the house unanimously passed the Capital Development Authority Amendment Bill 2022. The bill was presented by Minister of State Shahadat Awan. Later, the session was adjourned till Feb 13.