• Rabbani, Dilawar Khan trade barbs in Senate
• Sanjrani scuttles move to table fresh resolution in support of SC verdict
• JI senator terms hurriedly passed motion ‘drone attack’ on upper house

ISLAMABAD: Continuing their protest in the Senate, members of the mainstream political parties on Monday “disowned” the hastily-passed controversial resolution in support of military courts and demanded its withdrawal, as Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani intelligently scuttled their attempt to table a separate resolution in support of the Supreme Court (SC) verdict.

Lone Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Sena­tor Mushtaq Ahmed made two or three attempts to read out a resolution in support of the apex court’s decision, but each time the chairman prevented him, terming it a “sub judice matter”. He was apparently alluding to appeals filed by the federal and some provincial governments.

The upper house of the parliament also witnessed a heated exchange between PPP Senator Raza Rabbani and independent Senator Dilawar Khan, who had tabled the controversial resolution on Nov 13, at a time when only about a dozen senators were present in the 100-member house.

Out-of-agenda resolution

In their speeches, senatoris regretted that the out-of-agenda resolution was tabled at a time when the house did not even have quorum.

Through the two-page resolution, tabled by Dilawar Khan and supported only by the senators of the Balochistan Awami Party, the house had supported the military trial of civilians in the wake of May 9 incidents and asked the SC to reconsider its decision.

When the house met after a two-day recess on Monday, Mr Rabbani decried the way the resolution was “bulldozed” it depicted parliament as a “redundant institution”.

“We totally reject this resolution. It doesn’t reflect the sentiments of a majority of this house,” said Mr Rabbani while asking the chairman to allow the JI senator to table his resolution against the military courts.

“This matter has now become sub judice… So now leave this matter and move on,” remarked Mr Sanjrani while referring to Mr Rabbani’s speech where he talked also about the filing of appeals against the SC’s ruling.

JI’s Mushtaq Ahmed regretted the Senate chairman had put the resolution to vote without allowing a debate. He said the resolution was tabled at a time when even Leader of the House Ishaq Dar and Opposition Leader Shahzad Waseem were not present. He said the resolution was not even shared with any member before it was tabled.

“The resolution is a drone attack on this house… It is an attack on democracy, human freedom and free media,” he said. The JI senator “condemned” the resolution and termed it “an attempt to pressurise the judiciary” and “strengthen undemocratic forces” in the country.

But the Senate chairman barred Mr Ahmed from reading out his resolution, stating that he could not even read out one paragraph of it. However, the JI senator said that he was not presenting the resolution, but wanted to express his sentiments. He said the SC’s decision was “historic”.

Personal attacks on Rabbani

At this point, Dilawar Khan took the floor and questioned why Mr Rabbani and others had not pointed out quorum when he was presenting the resolution. He then launched some personal attacks on Mr Rabbani, stating that senators still remembered how Mr Rabbani had voted in support of military courts in the past when a constitutional amendment was moved in the previous assembly.

He claimed when all the political leaders and the whole of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were opposing the US in the war against terrorism, Mr Rabbani’s party had brought a similar resolution in support of the military courts at the behest of the US. “Didn’t we see him [Mr Rabbani] crying and voting in this house?” he said, calling the PPP senator “a hypocrite”.

He, however, added that at that time, the bill had been moved to establish a parallel military court system for those involved in terrorism and who had been kept under detention in various camps and to provide them with a legitimate cover.

He said the present resolution talked about the trial of ordinary citizens in military courts which could not be supported.

Manzoor Kakar, one of the supporters of the resolution, also talked about the “double standards” of the opposing senators, recalling that their parties had in the past supported the trial of those involved in the May 9 attacks on military installations.

Speaking on a point of personal explanation, Mr Rabbani said he was “ashamed” when he voted in support of the bill in line with the party’s discipline and “even say it today that I am ashamed of committing that act”.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023