ISLAMABAD: The Senate session had to be adjourned for the second consecutive sitting on Thursday, but this time after transacting some business, as PTI senators held a noisy protest against re-arrest of their colleague Senator Azam Swati and non-issuance of his production order by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

The PTI lawmakers, chanting slogans, gathered around the chairman’s podium, tore apart copies of the agenda and threw them all around.

Despite disruption caused by protesting PTI senators, the house transacted some business, which included presentation of a report by the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Members of Parliament’s Immunities and Privileges Bill, introduced by PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani in the previous session.

The committee has made some amendments to the bill. Section 3 of the original bill said that “no member shall be detained under any law pertaining to preventive detention”. The committee has limited the scope of the proposed immunity by adding the words “once the session is summoned by the president or the chairman or the speaker, as the case may be” to it.

Chairman’s podium encircled, copies of agenda torn

Section 11 has also been added to the bill, which reads: “The provisions of this act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any powers, immunities and privileges of Members which may from time to time be defined by law or which are enjoyed by Members, or any law relating to immunities and privileges, and nothing contained herein shall prejudice, restrict or limit, all or any of the immunities and privileges enjoyed by Members or available to the Members under any law or otherwise.”

Immediately after recitation from the Holy Quran, Leader of Opposition in the House Dr Shahzad Waseem rose in his seat and started to speak.

But the Senate chairman asked him to let the House first complete the question hour. The first question was in the name of Senator Pulwasha, who was not around at that time.

The chair then gave the floor to Behramand Tangi, who asked a supplementary query. In the meantime, Leader of the Opposition and other PTI lawmakers stepped forward and gathered close to the Senate chairman’s dais. They tore apart copies of the agenda and started throwing the same all around.

Mr Sanjrani then asked the Minister of State for Law, Shahadat Awan, to move the Qanun-i-Shahadat, 1984, (The Qanun-i-Shahadat Amendment) Bill, 2022), already passed by the National Assembly, which was referred to the house standing committee on law for discussion and report.

The minister then laid a copy of the money bill, the Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, as required under Article 73 of the Constitution, in the house.

The bill was referred to the house committee concerned for consideration and report while members were asked to submit proposals and recommendations by Monday noon to the Senate Secretariat.

The chair then directed laying of the house committee reports in the Senate, which were also part of the 28-item orders of the day, and adjourned the session.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022