January 22, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 12, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: With the government appearing to be unwilling to summon a Senate session, opposition senators have launched a signature campaign for requisitioning a session of the upper house.

Sources told Dawn here on Monday that 36 members had already signed the requisition notice and leader of opposition and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart Raza Rabbani would arrive in Islamabad from Karachi on Tuesday to finalise the agenda for the session in consultation with other opposition parties.

The sources said the opposition senators wanted a debate on the law and order situation with particular reference to the increase in incidents of suicide attacks and the situation in the tribal areas and parts of the NWFP where army had launched operations.

The opposition members also wanted to record their protest over the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in a gun-and-bomb attack near Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on Dec 27.

The opposition members have also submitted various adjournment motions to the Senate secretariat on the ongoing power and wheat crises.

PPP’s secretary for parliamentary affairs Izhar Amrohvi confirmed that the opposition members were planning to requisition a Senate session. He, however, said that a final decision in this regard would be taken in a day or two after Mr Rabbani’s arrival in the capital and his discussion with leaders of other opposition parties, including Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and National Party (NP).

Mr Amrohvi said the last session of the Senate was held in August, 2007, the Senate met on Oct 6 only to elect Gen Pervez Musharraf as the president.

Meanwhile, Mr Amrohvi said that the opposition on Monday submitted four more adjournment motions seeking debate on the recent incidents of terrorism in various parts of the country. He said the first motion had been filed on the incident in which nine people, including two children, were killed when an explosive device went off in the Landhi area in Karachi on Jan 14. Through the second motion, the opposition senators have sought discussion on the incident in which 11 persons were killed and 20 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside an Imambargah in Peshawar on Jan 17.

The opposition has also moved a motion seeking debate on a Jan 20 news report that the US planes violated Pakistan’s airspace and that the Afghan National Army fired 20 to 25 artillery shells from across the border which landed on mountains surrounding Ghulam Khan area of North Waziristan.

Through another motion, the opposition senators have sought discussion on the situation in South Waziristan where the militants had captured a fort.