ISLAMABAD: Former and sitting senators on Wednesday took stock of the country’s political and economic situation 50 years after the present Constitution was adopted.
Speaking at the inaugural sitting of the three-day special Senate session to mark its golden jubilee, eminent legal expert and veteran politician Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan raised the alarm over the rising political polarisation.
He regretted that the home of a civilian politician was being raided on the orders of another civilian politician. “This should not have happened,” he remarked.
He was referring to police action in Lahore to arrest former premier Imran Khan for failing to appear in court last week on graft charges.
Mr Ahsan said state institutions were after one politician and tomorrow they would be after someone else and so on. “None of us will be safe,” he warned.
Referring to the woes of Balochistan, he cautioned that the situation would worsen if the matter was left merely to military institutions, as the armed forces “do not have a political solution”.
Register of ‘horror and shame’
Farhatullah Babar, a former senator known for his bold and blunt style, in his speech proposed that two national registers should be instituted to commemorate those who rendered sacrifices for upholding the Constitution and to condemn those who subverted it.
He said a white “Register of Honour and Fame” should list those who drafted the Constitution and defended it with their life and liberty, whereas a black “Register of Horror and Shame” should record the names of those who suspended and subverted or sought to legitimise its subversion.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani presided over the session, which will continue for three days. In his opening remarks, he emphasised the key role played by the upper house of the parliament in strengthening parliamentary democracy in the country.
In his speech, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of maintaining continuity in the democratic system while ensuring transparent fiscal discipline. He praised the Senate’s role in maintaining unity and solidarity among the provinces and providing equal representation, despite facing challenges.
Former senator Raja Zafarul Haq suggested that there was room to increase the powers of the upper house in the financial matters of the country, as at present, only the National Assembly could approve the budget.
This suggestion was also seconded by Senator Bahramand Tangi and Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, a former Senate deputy chairman.
Other senators who spoke on the occasion included Attaur Rehman, Danesh Kumar, Hidayatullah and Faiz Muhammad. They highlighted several issues, including that of missing persons.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2023
