ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani will commence a round of consultations with the provincial chief ministers this week.
In a letter addressed to all the chief ministers, the Senate chairman has proposed a roadmap to create a structured linkage between the Senate and its constituents i.e. the provincial assemblies, in order to ensure that the rights, privileges and provincial autonomy granted to the provinces by the Constitution, 1973, is adhered to and complied with.
It is being proposed that the Senate of Pakistan will provide an opportunity to the provincial chief ministers to annually address the Senate to share the achievements, issues and grievances being faced by the federating units or any other issue they deem appropriate to bring to the House of Federation. This concept is not alien in the federal structures more particularly where participatory federalism is practised.
In various international jurisdictions, the provinces/territories have a right to speak in the upper chamber, the purpose being of creating a link between the federal parliament and provincial assemblies.
Moreover, a Senate Committee for each province is being proposed consisting of the senators from the said provinces and a senior most senator amongst to be its chairman.
The Committee of the Province will consider a matter raised by the concerned chief minister through his address or raised in writing with the Senate chairman. The committee will present a biannual report before the House, which shall be sent by the Senate to the concerned provincial assembly.
The purpose of the Committees of Provinces is to break the wall of isolation between the federal Parliament and the provincial assembly to ensure an integrated understanding of the issues and difficulties being faced by the provincial governments and to give expression of the same at the federal level.
