ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s upper house of Parliament amended its rules on Monday in a moved to ensure that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attends its sessions.
Rule 61 (2A) of the rules of the Senate’s procedure and conduct of business says that the prime minister would have to appear in the Senate at least once a week when the session is underway.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not attended a single session since his election in May 2013.
Earlier, the opposition had staged a walkout from the upper house against the comments of the PML-N Senator Jafar Iqbal regarding the presence of the prime minister in the Senate.
MQM Senator Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi had said that the prime minister should attend the proceedings of the Senate at least once in each week when the upper house is in session.
Senator Jafar Iqbal said that the country is facing many challenges which the prime Minister is busy dealing with.
He also said that the presence of the prime minister is not important in the Senate.
PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said that Senator Jafar Iqbal’s comments are against the dignity of the House, while it is the responsibility of the prime minister to attend the Senate session.
Later, senators from the opposition parties staged a walkout from the upper house.
National security policy bill
Meanwhile, Chairman Senate Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari warned the government to present the national security policy bill in the upper house on Tuesday otherwise he will forward the matter to the concerned standing committee of the Senate.
Bokhari said that it was difficult to understand that the government succeeded in passing the bill in the National Assembly, but failed to present it to the Senate despite assurances of the Leader of the House, Raja Zafarul Haq.
Earlier, commenting on a point of order, PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said that government is not presenting the National Security Policy bill in the Upper House, and said that the opposition will bring a privilege motion against the Minister for Interior Ch Nisar Ali Khan for breaching the dignity of the Senate in this regard.
Meanwhile, Minister for State and Frontier Regions, Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch said that the government is trying to bring peace through dialogue with militants. He further said that if the process failed, the government will take serious action against the terrorists.
The minister was commenting on a resolution which was presented by Afrasiab Khattak, Senator from the Awami National Party (ANP).
Baloch said the PML-N government believes that it will succeed in bringing peace through dialogue while it will not drag the issue till 2018 for the next government.
He said that around 0.1 million families of FATA are residing in IDP’s camps situated in KP province.
Baloch also announced that his ministry is preparing a ‘Mini Marshall Plan’ for FATA which will be implemented after the restoration of peace.
Earlier, ANP Senator, Afrasiab Khattak presented a resolution in the Senate in which it was said that the government should prepare a plan to cleanse FATA of militants, provide compensation to the victims of militancy, relief and rehabilitation of IDP’s and a massive programme for the socio-economic uplift of the people.
Khattak also said that there is no record of killings in Fata which is being used for militants activities across the country while the state should establish its writ in FATA.
“Do you believe that the people of FATA have any right or future due to ongoing militancy in the area,” he questioned.
Meanwhile, the PML-Q Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed also introduced a bill for the establishment of ‘the National Cyber Security Council Bill, 2014’ in the Senate.