ISLAMABAD: Senators on Wednesday paid rich tribute to late senator Irfan Siddiqui for his services as a parliamentarian, author and educationist during a special sitting of the upper house of the parliament as a majority of the opposition members skipped the proceedings.

After a number of speeches by senators, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution to pay homage to late Siddiqui, who was also the parliamentary party leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The resolution was presented by Leader of the House and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

Irfan Siddiqui died at a private hospital after a brief illness on Monday, hours after the Senate passed the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with a two-thirds majority with the help of two opposition senators who had voted against the party lines.

Majority of PTI members skip condolence reference

Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) regretted the absence of PTI members from the condolence session. He also expressed concern over a defamatory campaign against the late senator on social media, saying that such posts must be hurting for the family members of the late senator.

A majority of the opposition senators stayed away from the proceedings. PTI senators Dost Mohammad and Falak Naz in their speeches showered praises on late Siddiqui, declaring him a fatherly figure. However, Deputy Chairman Syeda Khan Nasr expunged some objectionable remarks of Dost Mohammad when he tried to link Irfan Siddiqui’s death with the passage of the Constitution amendment bill.

Most of the senators said that late Siddiqui was a humble person and had never used harsh or indecent language even against his opponents. Many senators recalled various incidents and events while remembering late Siddiqui.

Parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sherry Rehman said they had lost a dignified colleague and a friend of great decency.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar later came to the house and before paying homage to late Siddiqui, he informed the members that the National Assembly had passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with a two-thirds majority but with few changes aimed at removing some ambiguities about the seniority of the judges. He said the Senate would take the bill again today (Thursday). The Senate will meet at 11am.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2025