ISLAMABAD, June 1: Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro on Wednesday observed that the issue of president’s address to the joint sitting of parliament would be discussed at an appropriate time. “We will discuss it when the time comes,” he said on a point of order raised by People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Senator Akbar Khawaja.

Senator Khawaja asked if there was any possibility of the presidential address in June. He referred to statements of the minister of parliamentary affairs Dr Sher Afgan during the last session in which the minister stated that the issue of presidential address would be taken up when the government would convene the Senate session.

In a rare occurrence, the minister for parliamentary affairs, who was present in the house, did not respond to the opposition’s query. The minister remained seated and the chairman bailed him out with his observation and putting the matter to an end without the opposition rubbing it further.

On another point of order by Senator Enver Baig about published reports that each parliamentarian of the MQM would get Rs25 million worth development funds, the Senate chairman asked him to raise the matter in a proper manner for debate and not through a point of order.

The committee system of the Senate also came under sharp criticism from the treasury and opposition senators as they accused the government, through points of order, of excluding the important parliamentary system for oversight.

“It is shameful that the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development did not convene a single meeting to discuss how the taxpayers money is being spent,” said PPP’s Dr Abdullah Riar.

Senator Riar said his requests to debate the planning process for the budget were ignored and the committee was sidestepped from the budget-making process.

On another point of order, Prof Saeed Siddiqui said the minister for parliamentary affairs had expressed inability to attend the Senate standing committee deliberations on breach of privileges on account of preoccupation with the budget-making process. Prof Siddiqui of the treasury benches, who is also chairman of the Committee on Rules of Procedures and Privileges, said the meetings had to be postponed on at least five occasions due to requests of the ministry and at least on one occasion due to other commitments of the leader of the opposition, Raza Rabbani.

Contesting the claims of Prof Siddiqui, Raza Rabbani accused the committee chairman of concealing the facts from the house and said the committee’s deliberations had not been postponed on his requests.

Mr Rabbani said he had expressed his inability to attend only one meeting which related to rules of procedures and not the other meetings related to breach of privilege proceedings. “No date has been changed because of my request,” said Mr Rabbani.

Earlier, Mr Rabbani said it was unfortunate that breach of privilege motions had not been taken up by the committee. He said since the day of breach of privilege of the senators at the hands of Punjab police, the committee had failed to convene even a preliminary meeting.

“If this is the manner in which the committee treats the privileges, we will reconsider whether we continue with them or withdraw the same,” said Senator Rabbani.

Sher Afgan said the government was serious in taking the privilege motions and had not opposed when they were referred to the committee.

He suggested the committee’s meetings should be scheduled after June 21 on a regular basis to dispose of the privilege motions.

Putting an end to the debate, the senate chairman asked Mr Rabbani and Prof Siddiqui to come to his chamber later to sort out the matter.

Speaking on a different point of order, Senator Anwar Bhinder pointed out the lack of decorum in the upper house.

He said the senators were busy in cross talk and roaming in the house during the other members’ speeches.