ISLAMABAD, June 13: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has rejected the contention of the Senate chairman, Muhammadmian Soomro, that no question can be asked about the Sindh governor on the floor of the House.

The PPP had asked for details of criminal cases filed against Ishratul Ibad before his appointment as governor, their present status and whether the cases were withdrawn and, if so, why were these withdrawn.

In a letter to Senator Farhatullah Babar, Mr Soomro ruled that his question was about a sitting governor who was a representative of the president. "A question about the conduct of any such dignitary is barred by the provision of rule 47 (XViii) (a) of the Rules of Business," the letter said.

The PPP challenges this interpretation as there was no sub clause (a) to Rule 47 (XViii) in the Rules of Business on the basis of which the question was killed, said Senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement here on Sunday.

Rule 47 (XViii) which had no sub clause barred only questions, which contained reflections on court decisions, he said. There was no reference to governor or anybody else in this rule, he said.

Senator Babar said there was sub clause (a) in Rule 47 (XViii) under which questions reflecting on the conduct of the president, or a foreign head of state or a judge of the superior court could not be asked. "Even this did not forbid asking question about a provincial governor."

"The lackadaisical and non-chalant manner in which a serious question is disallowed on the basis of an imaginary and non- existent rule is mind-boggling". It only demonstrates that the Senate is being conducted as a personal Jagir rather than the elected Upper House of the federation, he said.

It is a novel interpretation that the immunity given to the president should also be deemed to apply to the governors on the ground that they are representatives of the president.

"By disallowing the question the Senate chairman has transgressed his powers and authority to cover up the criminal past of a sitting governor," senator Babar said. Mr Babar said the harder the rulers tried to cover up the criminal past of state functionaries the harder the PPP would expose them before the bar of the enlightened public opinion.