Controversial private member bill hurriedly passed by parliament

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday last unanimously but hurriedly passed a private member bill, which makes the Senate chairmen, whether serving or retired, one of the most privileged persons in Pakistan.

The controversial bill — The Chairman Senate (Salaries, Allowance and Privileges) Act, 2023 — was passed soon after another bill, whose details are not yet available with The News, relating to perks and privileges of members of the Senate, was unanimously adopted. All the political parties, including PMLN, PPP, PTI, JUIF and other PDM parties, supported these private bills, which were passed in an apparent behind-the-scene understanding of all the concerned at a time when the country is facing a serious financial crisis.

Sources said that the bill pertaining to the Senate chairman has also been passed by the National Assembly and now it will go to the president for his assent.

The bill, when enforced, will benefit all the past, present and all future Senate chairmen at the cost of taxpayers' money.

Interestingly, two former Senate chairmen, Raza Rabbani and Farooq H Naek, who are still members of the Senate, were amongst the movers of the bill. The total number of movers of this private member bill was 40, including the leader of the opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem. During the voting, not even one single voice of opposition was raised on this largesse at the cost of public money.

“While in office and after retirement, no other public office holder has such privileges and benefits,” an official source said, adding that every chairman of the Senate after completing his tenure (post-retirement) will get for life 12 employees and six guards permanently and VVIP security wherever he goes.

He can requisition airplane for self and children and family for domestic and international travel. He will get any additional benefit, not even mentioned in the bill, or whatever he desires from the finance committee, which is his handpicked.

The Section 21 of the Bill says, “Every person who has held the office of Chairman for a full term of three years, shall be entitled for life to full security detail that is to say six sentries at the declared residence, four personnel of police, anti-terrorism force, rangers, frontier corps or frontier constabulary in one squad vehicle, for which the federal government in Islamabad, or a provincial government in the respective province, shall make the required arrangements.”

According to Section 16, the chairman shall be entitled to such personal staff as may be prescribed by the Finance Committee, which shall be authorised to provide personal staff, regular or contractual, not exceeding the limit of 12 in number who has held the office of chairman for a full term.

The Section 20 reads as, “The Finance Committee of the Senate may grant the chairman and the person who has held such office for a full term of three years, such additional privileges as it may deem fit.”

The chairman shall be entitled to authorised discretionary grant of Rs800,000 per annum or such amount as may be decided by the Finance Committee of the Senate. It means the discretionary amount could be increased to any level.

In case of air accidents, the provision of heavy compensation is also part of the bill. He will also be entitled to provident fund. Medical facilities of the chairman, ex-chairman and their family members, wife, widows are unlimited at public and private hospitals as well as at their residence.

The Section 13 talks about the chairman’s travelling allowance and protocol for journeys abroad. He will be entitled to the protocol of deputy head of state or vice president. For his foreign travel, he shall also be entitled to requisition at the cost of government an airplane belonging to the federal, provincial government, armed forces, any flying club or any chartered air service provider. The chairman shall be allowed to take with him one member of his family when travelling by a commercial airplane or four members of his family when travelling by a requisitioned airplane.

The bill also contains detailed perks and privileges for the chairman’s travelling allowance and the members of his family for journeys within Pakistan. Free telephone facility at residence, official residence, free furnishing at the cost of public money, free official vehicles for self and family, free petrol, sumptuary allowance, allowance on taking up and laying down the office, equipment allowance, TA/DA are in addition to the salary of the chairman.

Such are perks and privileges of the chairman and ex-chairman Senate that they were detailed in a nine-page bill.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmad of Jamaat-e-Islami told The News that he had opposed the bill but his mic was not turned on. He said he was not allowed to speak during the passage of the bill.