Acting Senate chair walks out of sparsely-attended session

Senator Jan Jamali adjourns proceedings to ‘wait for members to arrive’ but refuses to return.

ISLAMABAD:

In a country where democracy has had an arduous journey, incumbent lawmakers’ apathy towards an elected parliament is indeed deplorable.

On Thursday, acting Senate Chairperson Mir Jan Jamali refused to proceed with the session, agitated over continued absence of senators.

Jamali, who was chairing the house in place of Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek who is the acting president while President Zardari is in Istanbul, suddenly adjourned proceedings to mark his disillusionment over the non-serious attitude of ministers. “I adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes to uphold the prestige of the upper house,” he said.

A little over 20 senators were present in the house and waited for Jamali to return. However, after he refused, Presiding Officer Senator Tahir Mashhadi continued with the session which was adjourned till Friday.

Jamali’s walkout came as the question hour began and senators pointed out that most queries were related to the cabinet and finance divisions but the ministers who were to respond to them were absent.

“The bureaucracy’s attitude is completely non-serious. Written replies often do not address questions and are irrelevant,” said Senator Zahid Khan of the Awami National Party.

“How will they solve the poor people’s problems when they never come to the Senate?” asked Senator Safdar Abbasi, whose affiliation with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party did not deter him from criticising his fellow ministers’ failure to take their responsibilities seriously.

The cabinet head, he said, has no control over his own cabinet which heavily costs the PPP. “The leader of the house [Nayyar Bukhari] must convey my concerns over the situation to the prime minister.”

“I have never observed such an attitude by cabinet members,” said Senator Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. “The matter must be taken up by the prime minister. This attitude shows that the Senate is a redundant body.”

PPP chief whip Islamuddin Sheikh and Senator Mashhadi immediately attempted to mollify the lawmakers.

“We appreciate the ministers who are present in the house but those who have not turned up have, indeed, created problems for government. They have flouted democratic norms,” Mashhadi said, asking Bokhari to ensure the presence of ministers in the house.

Sheikh also assured the lawmakers that ministers will ensure their presence in the next session and said that some of them could not attend because they had already left for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. “Under the 18th amendment, the cabinet is answerable to the Senate and I will also request the prime minister to also attend Senate sessions,” he said, requesting Mashhadi to defer the question hour.

Speaking to reporters later at his office, Jamali said that he had met Naek over the issue of the cabinet members’ careless attitude in the Senate. “The senate can’t work properly until it is given fiscal power and authority to approve key government appointments,” he said, but refused to explain when asked why he did not proceed with the business of the house.

Among the ministers who did attend the session were Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, Commerce Minister Amin Fahim and Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain.

(With additional input from APP)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2011.