Senate body to review amendments on 28th: Rules of business
By Amir Wasim
ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The much-awaited meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges has been called for January 28 in the Parliament House to consider over a dozen amendments proposed by the treasury
and opposition senators, sources told Dawn.
The opposition senators, particularly those belonging to the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP), had been demanding for the past several weeks that the meeting of the committee should be convened to discuss the motions moved by them seeking amendments to the rules and procedures of the Senate.
According to the sources, eight amendments proposed by ruling party Senator Chaudhry Anwar Bhinder and three each by PPP senators Raza Rabbani and Farhatullah Babar are on the agenda of January 28 meeting.
An amendment moved by Mr Bhinder provides for punishment to a person for breach of privilege after providing him an opportunity of being heard. The amendment will empower the house "to recommend the concerned authority to take action against the person committing the breach of the privilege of the house or its committee or its member and the decision of the house shall be binding on the concerned authority".
Senator Farhatullah Babar, through one of his amendments, has sought increase in the number of private member's day from one to two days a week. Presently Monday is the only private member's day in the Senate. If the amendment is adopted, Monday and Tuesday shall be private member days, the sources said.
The committee will review another amendment, moved by Mr Babar, binding the Senate chairman to constitute house committees during the first session of the Upper House after its meeting called to elect the chairman and deputy chairman.
Mr Babar, in his motion, stated that it was due to lack of binding provision in the rules that over one year was wasted in the setting up of house committees. The committee will also take up the amendment motion of Mr Babar regarding changes in rules dealing with the tenure of chairmen of committees.
The amendment states: "The chairman of a standing committee shall cease to be the chairman upon his induction as minister/minister of state or adviser and the vacancy thus caused shall be filled by election from among the committee's members.
Presently the rules do not provide for the chairman of a committee to cease functioning as such upon his elevation as minister or minister of state or adviser. Another rule sought to be introduced by the opposition leader Mian Raza Rabbani is to start the Prime Minister Question Hour on the pattern of House of Commons.
"In every session that exceeds seven days there shall be one hour designated on a day by the chairman to be called the prime minister's question hour," the motion moved by Mr Rabbani states.
Senators Raza Rabbani and Farhatullah Babar have also sought to amend Rule 59 of the rules so as to provide for four call attention notices to be taken up in a week instead of the only two permissible under the existing rules.
Under the existing rules, "a call attention notice received up to two hours before the sitting would be placed for consideration of the chairman, who would select one of them and not more than two notices in a week for a statement by the minister at the end of the sitting on the following day unless the chair decides that the statement shall be made by the minister on the same day."
