Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari said that the general elections had brought a historic transition from one democratically elected government to another with the continuity of the Senate in perpetuating democracy.
Addressing the participants of TDEA-FAFEN annual Senate Report 2013-14, he stated that Senate emerged as a body having the potential to act as a counter-balance on legislative and parliamentary business with opposition parties in dominance in the Upper House.
Bokhari said that the previous parliamentary year 2013-2014 holds a unique importance for being immensely eventful and productive in the parliamentary history of Pakistan Senate.
“I call it unique for its seminal value in our quest for change, transformation, progress and reformation,” he said, adding that both the elected leadership as well as the Senate administration strove hard to redefine Senate’s role and performance.
He said that a great deal of attention was paid towards deliberating key matters of public and national importance from socio-political issues, terrorism, drone attacks and human rights abuses to dual nationality of judges and bureaucrats, missing persons, death penalties, honour killings and de-weaponisation.
The Senate chairman said that during the 11th parliamentary year of the Senate, a significantly large proportion of interventions addressed issues pertaining to economic development and energy crisis during 2013-14. Moreover women, children and minority issues also remained a centre of focus in the House with various bills and resolutions on these issues.
