Chaos in Senate after opposition protest for not presenting ordinances

ISLAMABAD: The government came under fire in the Senate for promulgation of eight ordinances in recent days on the first day of the requisitioned session on Tuesday, as the joint opposition demanded tabling of the same in the House.Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Swati decried the fact that promulgation of ordinances by the PPP and PML-N during their respective governments was halal (permissible) and now for the PTI government haram (forbidden). He also quoted figures, indicating dozens of ordinances were promulgated every year by both governments.The joint opposition had filed a requisition application and accordingly Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani summoned the session with the opposition’s agenda listed on the orders of the day. Some opposition senators chanted slogans, slamming the government for turning the President House into an ordinance factory, bypassing the parliament.Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla chaired the bumpy sitting before suspending the House for 15 minutes after the opposition insisted on pressing the government for a commitment for tabling of ordinances in the Senate on Wednesday. However, neither the Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz nor Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Swati promised to do so the next day.Former chairman Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani rose to say that it had been a tradition and also the requirement of Article 89 of the Constitution was that the ordinances, promulgated before the summoning of any of the chambers of parliament, be laid before them. He also referred to the related rulings by the NA speaker and the Senate chairmen, which reiterated the same. The last ruling was that all the ordinances promulgated, would be laid before the House on the first sitting of the session and then the government also had the space of 10 days to do so but for each day’s delay, the government would have to explain the reason thereof.There was also a clause in the Constitution, he pointed out, which allowed the president to promulgate ordinance in case of such circumstances that required immediate action but his satisfaction was mandatory. And then it was the constitutional prerogative to okay or reject it after having its scrutiny.He noted that the present legal team had worked with General Ziaul Haq, it was in the habit of promulgation of ordinances on the presidential orders. Rabbani said the incumbent government, which called itself democratic, should lay the ordinances for parliamentary scrutiny.Rabbani said that already the Islamabad High Court had held proceedings on the issue of appointment of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan and asked if the parliament was not in a position to sell issues on its own, as the matter of their appointment was again referred to it.“From day one, the behavior of the government was quite obvious that it wanted to bypass the parliament. The government is concerned about our majority in the Senate and that is why, it is running way,” alleged PPP vice-president Senator Sherry Rehman. She asserted that the opposition just could not stop from speaking on this issue, saying, “We will continue our protest over non-placing of ordinances in the parliament and as to why the government does not opt for legislation”.Senator Sherry criticized the government for adjourning the session without listening to the opposition’s concerns and giving a commitment on ordinances. “The government will have to run the House, otherwise, we will stage a sit-in on the floor of the Senate,” she warned.Leader of the House rose to say what Sherry said was partially true that the matter was discussed in the House Business Advisory Committee and that there would be talk on this issue. He said that he had maintained that they had missed an opportunity to discuss the most serious issue of Occupied Kashmir in the House, as because of the situation which evolved due to Azadi March, the Kashmir issue was put on the backburner.About the government’s demand on laying of ordinances, he said that they would take a decision early. Former interior minister Abdul Rehman Malik regretted that the President House had become an ordinance factory. “President House ordinances are not acceptable to us. The government must accord respect to the parliament and desist from bypassing it,” he asserted.Minister Swati was on his feet to insist that it was the government’s prerogative to decide about the ordinances, as happened in the past. PML-N Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi had drawn the House's attention towards the issue, earlier.Mandviwalla suspended the House for 15 minutes but when the House reconvened, ANP Senator Sitara Ayaz presided over the sitting for a few minutes but no business could be taken up, as the opposition agitated on the ordinances and wanted her ruling. She said a ruling already existed and she was not there to give more ruling as to when the government should lay ordinances in the House. However, the opposition senators kept agitating, forcing her to adjourn the session till Wednesday afternoon.

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