ISLAMABAD: A person who cannot become a member of the parliament should not become an office bearer of any political party of the country, says a resolution passed by Senate on Wednesday.
The resolution moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan pointed out that an unelected person can become the head of a party and control its actions—a reference to Electoral Reforms Bill passed by parliament earlier this month.
The bill had paved the way for Nawaz Sharif to head the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, again, after his disqualification by the Supreme Court in its July 28 Panama case verdict.
The resolutions stated that the parliament, thus, is exposed to becoming hostage to a person who himself is barred from entering it.
Leader of the House Senator Raja Zafarul Haq said that such a resolution is inappropriate as a bill regarding had already been passed the Senate in this regard.
Senator Zahid Hamid, who initially moved the bill, also opposed the resolution, saying everyone should have right to choose whoever they want as their leader.
The resolution passed with 52 senators voting in its favour and 28 voting against it.
Speaking on the floor on Wednesday, Aitzaz Ahsan also demanded that a committee should be formed to investigate the alleged Intelligence Bureau (IB) list of lawmakers with links to terrorist organisations, adding that he does not accept that the letter was fake.
He said the letter cannot be ignored as it includes two senators as well.
IB and the government repeatedly denied the existence of any such list with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi clarifying on the floor of National Assembly that the list was fake.
