• Chair blocks passage of several bills sent by NA till Friday, demands ‘serious’ attitude
• Senators take exception to ‘blackout’ of House proceedings; several bills passed

ISLAMABAD: In a rare snub to the National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday blocked the passage of five bills transmitted by the lower house of parliament over the treatment meted out to its bills, which have been pending in the NA for some time.

The delay was described by the chair as a serious issue, who asked the lower house to demonstrate “seriousness” in dealing with the matter while blocking the passage of several bills, including the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill and the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Bill, which were supposed to be moved by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. The Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill, the Al-Biruni International University Bill, and the Corporate Social Responsibility Bill were also blocked.

PML-N Senator Anushe Rehman regretted that the bills passed by the Senate and transmitted to the National Assembly were not being taken up by the lower house, as she sought the views of the ministers present in the House.

PPP’s Saleem Mandviwalla, who was chairing the Senate session, deferred the bills till Friday, noting that it was a serious matter. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar assured the House that the matter would be taken up with the National Assembly speaker.

Another highlight was a protest by the PPP parliamentary leader, Senator Sherry Rehman, over the blackout of the Senate proceedings for the second consecutive day. She said the blackout was taking place at a time when discussion on terrorism was underway, adding that people did not know who was saying what on this grave matter.

“I am recording the protest on behalf of all senators,” she said. The information ministry should be asked about it immediately, and the problem, if any, should be fixed forthwith, she emphasised.

PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Syed Ali Zafar also chipped in, saying he had raised the matter a day earlier. He said the blackout had earlier been restricted to the opposition, but now the entire upper house was a victim of this censorship.

Bills passed by Senate

The Senate also passed a number of important bills, many of which seek to reform the criminal justice system. One of these was a bill to criminalise necrophilia through an amendment to Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The bill, moved by Samina Mumtaz Zehri, pointed out that many countries respect the dignity of the dead and have criminalised necrophilia, or rape of a corpse. Hence, it must be penalised under the country’s laws, it read.

Another bill, also moved by Senator Zehri and passed by the House, prescribed punishment of imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine, or both, for any person in charge of a hospital (public or private) who refuses to provide first aid or free-of-cost medical treatment and to prepare a medico-legal report without delay for a rape survivor. The purpose of the amendment is to penalise medical professionals for criminal negligence observed in treating such sensitive cases, which is a mandatory component of their official duty, it read.

The House also continued discussion on the recent suicide attack in Islamabad. Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan said, “While we blame India and Afghanistan, which is right to some extent, what we have to see is what we have done to our neighbours.”

Senator Afnanullah Khan claimed that the PML-N had eradicated terrorism, but that President Dr Arif Alvi, in 2020, gave amnesty to 100 terrorists.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2026