The former needs to respect the latter
The PML-N’s impulse to lock horns with the institutions has overpowered it once again. The party leadership feels uncomfortable with the Senate where it doesn’t enjoy majority. The Upper House has therefore been subjected to neglect. The impatience shown by Ch Nisar during his sole appearance in the House when accused of presenting wrong figures concerning casualties in terrorist incidents led him to enter into an unnecessary confrontation with the Opposition. His subsequent refusal to apologise over his remarks led the protesting Senators to boycott the session and hold parallel Senate sittings in the lawns of Parliament House for a number of days. Subsequently Nisar never turned up at the Senate, assigning the task of briefing to the Minister of State for Interior. The chemistry of the Senate will undergo change in PML-N’s favour in March 2015 when half of the total members will give place to newly-elected Senators. During the next eleven months the government can ill-afford to ignore the House as it would need its cooperation in passing vital legislation.
There is a perception that the government has subjected the Senate to willful neglect. In February when the national security policy was presented before National Assembly, it was not put before the Senate. This was strongly resented by the Opposition as well as some members of the ruling coalition. One can understand the attitude of Gen Pervez Musharraf who as President avoided delivering mandatory annual addresses before the joint sittings of Parliament as he considered facing a noisy opposition against his dignity. This is however not expected from the politicians. It is a matter of concern that the prime minister has not put up a single appearance at the Senate during the last 10 months despite repeated demands from the House. The absence is not in consonance with the constitutional requirements either. Article 91(6) expressly holds the cabinet and the ministers responsible to both the Senate and the National Assembly. Failure to give due importance to the Senate sends the wrong signal that the government does not care for the Upper House.
The attitude has led the Senate to amend its rules, requiring the presence of the prime minister at least once a week during the Zero Hour. There is a need to bring down the unnecessary confrontation at a time when the government has to get a number of vital legislative measures through the Senate. The Opposition has willingly supported the government on major issues. It would be counter-productive if the relations were to become unnecessarily hostile. Nawaz Sharif can play the role of a healer by giving Parliament due importance. He needs to remove the impression that he is dodging the Senate while he should also attend the NA sittings more often than he does.
