PTI holds protest in Senate over Swati

ISLAMABAD: The second sitting of the new Senate session on Thursday ended shortly after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf legislators forced the chair to adjourn the proceedings with their rumpus and sloganeering demanding Azam Swati’s production order and protested before the chairman Senate’s dais.

The PTI members including the Leader of the Opposition raised slogans demanding Azam Swati’s production order and protested before the chairman Senate’s dais and treasury benches. They tore apart and threw up in the chair the agenda copies. Earlier, immediately after the recitation from the Holy Quran, Leader of Opposition Dr. Shahzad Waseem rose to his seat and started to speak. But Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked him to let the House first exhaust the question hour. However, despite the noisy scene, the House managed to transact some legislative business. The Senate session which was started at 1500 hours concluded at 1510 hours due to the PTI commotion.

At the start, the house considered the standing committee report on The Members of Parliament Immunities and Privileges Act, 2022, which was introduced by ex-chairman Senate and PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani during the previous session. The committee had proposed some amendments, which were incorporated in the proposed legislation, which include ‘arrest under preventive detention laws; no member shall be detained under any law pertaining to preventive detention once the session is summoned by the president or the chairman or speaker, as the case may be’.

“And, that the Act not prejudice, restrict or limit any other immunities and privileges. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any powers, immunities and privileges of the Members which may from time to time be defined by law or which are enjoyed by the 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 the members or available to the members under any law or otherwise. “

Sanjrani then asked State Minister for Law Shahadat Awan to move the Qanun-e-Shahadat, 1984 (The Qanun-e-Shahadat Amendment) Bill, 2022, already passed by the National Assembly, which was referred to the House standing committee on law for deliberations 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 relevant House committee for consideration and report while members were asked to submit proposals/recommendations by Monday 12 noon to the Senate Secretariat. The chair, then directed for laying of the House standing committees reports in the Senate and adjourned the proceedings till Friday morning.

During the time for questions, the first question was for Senator Pulwasha, who was not around at that time. The chair afterwards asked PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, and then gave the floor to Behramand Tangi, who asked a supplementary query.