ISLAMABAD:Five opposition parties in the Senate, who had earlier decided to constitute an independent group in the House consisting of 27 members, demanded they be allotted separate opposition benches in the Senate. These parties are PML-N, JUI-F, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, National Party and BNP (Mengal).
Opposition parties in the anti-government coalition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) clashed in the first formal Senate session on Monday.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani chaired the first sitting.
The group is being led by the PML-N designated opposition leader Senator Azam Nazir Tarrar.
“We should be allotted separate opposition benches and the hidden cameras [in the Senate elections] should be investigated,” Senator Tarrar said.
Senators supporting Opposition leader Yousaf Raza Gillani protested Tarrar’s remarks. Government members, too, protested when senators from the Balochistan Awami Party were presented with gifts and a commotion broke out in the House.
Tarrar said that 27 senators from five parties have formed a separate opposition group. He said the opposition will play a “positive and constructive” role.
He said he was saddened by the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition.
On the other hand, the Dilawar Khan group, which supports Gillani, also demanded separate seats in the Senate.
The House met today after the election of new senators on March 3, the Senate chairman and deputy chairman on March 12 and notification of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani on March 26.
Opposition leader in the Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani said he will work with all Opposition parties and will also speak on behalf of the government if ever need be.
Speaking during the first Senate session, Gillani said he contested the Senate elections with the cooperation of PDM and will accompany the opposition in the Senate session.
“The PDM has become the voice of constitutional rights for women, minorities and others. We have come for the public interest and it is our duty to represent the people. The country faces many challenges for which we have to work together,” he said.
The Opposition leader advised newly elected members in the Upper House to learn from the experiences of the old senators.
Free Of Cost Coronavirus Vaccine
Senate passed a resolution regarding increased efforts in vaccination drive against COVID-19.
The resolution urged the government to provide either free of cost anti-corona vaccine to the general public or as per original international market price.
Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety to the Prime Minister Senator Sania Nishtar called upon the entire society to combat the third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic and make vaccination drive successful.
Speaking on a resolution in Senate on Monday, she said the pandemic is a national security issue and we should deal with it keeping politics aside.
She said the government successfully dealt with the first two waves of the virus keeping in view the lives and livelihood of citizens.
Sania Nishtar said the government has fixed prices of the vaccine under Drug pricing policy in a transparent manner and as per worldwide norm, elderly people and frontline health workers are being given the vaccine on priority basis.
Senate today passed, the Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2021.
Minister for Finance Hammad Azhar moved the bill.
Four bills were also introduced in the House. These include; [The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021] (Amendment of Articles 57, 62, 72, 73, 86, 89, 126, 159, 160, 162 and 166), [The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021], [The Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Bill, 2020], [The Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021].
The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.
Leader of the House in the Senate Shahzad Waseem has urged the opposition parties in the House to work for a unanimous stance on electoral reforms.
Speaking on the floor at the beginning of new parliamentary year of the Senate, he said electoral reforms are the only way forward in resolving issues about elections.
Shahzad Waseem said the opposition should play its constructive role for betterment in the country.
He said constructive criticism is the essence of real democracy and we welcome it at every forum.
The Leader of the House expressed hope that opposition in the House will play a positive role in making the parliament more functional.
The House has now been prorogued.
