ISLAMABAD: Despite government’s opposition, a PPP senator on Monday managed to introduce a private member’s bill seeking representation of women in the top judiciary.

Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani referred the bill, titled Supreme Court (Number of Judges) (Amendment) Act, 2016, to the committee concerned following a defeat to the government in the voting.

The bill, moved by former law minister Babar Awan, calls for appointment of “at least one-third female judges” in the Supreme Court, one each from the four provinces and Islamabad and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

As many as 23 members voted in support of the bill whereas 15 members of the ruling PML-N voted against it, when the mover insisted on tabling the bill after Law Minister Zahid Hamid opposed it.

Meanwhile, opposition members continued their boycott of the proceedings after the legislative business to register their protest over the absence of the prime minister from the house.

Speaking in support of the bill, Mr Awan stressed the need for taking steps to give representation to women in every field under Article 34 of the Constitution.

The Article 34 states: “Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life.”

The PPP senator said women had been playing their role in education, health, politics, armed forces and even in the lower judiciary, but he regretted that in the 69-year history of the country, not a single woman had become a judge of the Supreme Court. He asked the government not to oppose the bill.

Opposing the bill, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said that according to the bill, there should be at least six women judges, out of 17, in the Supreme Court. He said what they would do if tomorrow they did not get any woman judge fulfilling the requirements and qualification criteria. “Will that seat be kept vacant?” he asked.

On the insistence of the mover, the chairman put the bill before the house for a voting and referred it to the committee.

The chairman also referred two other private members’ bills moved by Azam Swati of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf seeking amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, and the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965.

RESOLUTION: Later, the Senate passed a resolution asking the government to prepare a dossier about alleged Indian interference in Pakistan’s internal matters and fomenting terrorism and send it to the international community.

“This House recommends that the government should prepare a complete dossier about the Indian interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs fomenting unrest, instability and terrorism and send the same to key international countries and institutions,” says the resolution moved by PML-N’s retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum.

The resolution was adopted without any debate.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2016