January 19, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 09, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: The Senate is certain to miss the target of holding 90 meetings in a parliamentary year as the government and the opposition both appear to have given up the idea of convening a session this month.

As the upper house has held only 35 sessions during the current parliamentary year, it needs to meet another 55 times in order to comply with the requirement of 90 sessions. The parliamentary year is slated to end on March 12.

The acting chairman of Senate, Jan Mohammad Jamali, had sent a proposal earlier this month to the parliamentary affairs ministry for convening the upper house by Jan 15.

The ministry sent a summary to the president recommending that the Senate be convened on Jan 14.

However, the government seems to have rejected the proposal. Parliamentary affairs minister Syed Afzaal Haider summed up his helplessness: “I have done my duty by pointing out a constitutional violation. Now it is up to the government to convene the house.”

A fresh summary will be needed now if the government changes its mind and decides to summon the upper house.

According to sources, pro-Musharraf senators have been opposing convening of a session before the general election on the ground that they were engaged in canvassing for their party candidates.

Acting chairman Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali, who had met Prime Minister Soomro earlier this week to seek his support for development projects in his Balochsitan constituency, told journalists the Senate issue did not figure in the discussion.

He, however, said he hoped that the opposition may consider requisitioning a session.