New rules: All-powerful Senate can now summon anyone

Upper house can also ask for data from any organisation or department

ISLAMABAD:

In an unprecedented revamping of rules, the upper house of parliament introduced on Thursday a new set of laws, including one under which the house may constitute itself into a committee with powers to require the attendance of any person or to produce data from any department.

“The house may constitute itself into a committee of the whole on a motion by the leader of the house or leader of the opposition. When the house constitutes itself into a committee of the whole, it functions as one committee acting upon any matter(s) referred by the house and conducts its proceedings like a regular committee with its membership composed of all members of the house,” said the newly inserted Rule 172A in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012.



The Senate legislators also passed an amendment seeking substitution of Rule 58, under which answers to questions given by ministers “shall be electronically sent to members” two hours before the commencement of the question hour but not be released for publication until answers are actually given on the floor.

With the addition of 256A, federal ministers shall, after every three months, appear before the house and make reports on all matters referred and recommendations made by the committees.

Drop box feature

The upper house will soon introduce a drop box feature on its website to allow people to file their complaints, which will be given tracking numbers and then forwarded to the house or the relevant standing committees.

“It will enhance people’s ownership of the house and their participation,” said Raza Rabbani, the Senate chairman, while presiding over the session on Thursday.

He also appreciated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for attending the house proceedings. “It is welcoming to see ministers attending sittings and today even the PM was present,” he said. “It will help Senate improve its performance.”

The opposition had for long been complaining over the absence of the prime minister and the interior minister. Both the leaders, however, did not make any statements.

Turbat massacre

The Senate chairman referred the matter of the murder of 20 construction workers in Balochistan to the human rights committee as demanded by the opposition.

Expressing concern over the extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, Senator Farhatullah Babar of the Pakistan Peoples Party had asked if the government was also considering a judicial inquiry into the retaliatory killings of the suspects behind the attack. “The state is resorting to the same tactics as that of the militants and lawless elements,” he added.

Minister of State for Interior Baleeghur Rehman said the operation against the killers was carried out on the basis of intelligence reports and the government had no plans for a judicial inquiry. He added, however, the Gwadar RPO would investigate the law enforcement personnel deployed for the protection of workers.

Debate on CCI report

As many as 21 lawmakers expressed their views on the Council of Common Interest [CCI] annual report 2012-13 in a marathon sitting, during which majority members from smaller provinces raised concerns over equal distribution of resources.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Nihal Hashmi said the provinces were perhaps not ready for the devolution under 18th amendment and they had no one else to blame.

Responding to the concerns, Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that no provincial chief minister was ready to give in any of their rights and it was naïve to even think of that. However, the Punjab chief minister had given in several times in favour of Balochistan in order to address their grievances, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2015.