Daily Times

Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Sherry Rehman on Tuesday demanded the Senate chairman to convene the Committee of the Whole to deliberate over the powers of Upper House of the Parliament to approve the Federal Budget 2024-25.

Speaking in the Senate, the PPPP leader said though the Senate was the Upper House of the Parliament but its role in the approval of budget was limited.

Senator Rehman underscored that with equal representation of all the provinces, the Senate was the symbol of Federation. She said it was cited that the senators were not directly elected representatives. For that, she added, “the system of electing Senate members should be changed so that they can be directly elected.”

The PPPP leader said the senators painstakingly prepared recommendations on the budget, but the National Assembly had the power to approve or reject them.

She pointed out that the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance, had representation from both treasury and opposition bench, which worked round the clock to prepare the recommendations for the Money Bill.

“It is appreciable that Leader of the House in the Senate Ishaq Dar spoke about the powers of the Senate on the floor of the National Assembly,” she added.

Sherry Rehman said in many countries where the parliamentary system consisted of bicameral legislature both the houses had the role in approving the budget. “The Money Bill should not be approved without voting of the Upper House as there is no concept of the Federation sans Senate.” She said the Senate was the only institution which carried out a thorough fiscal and financial audit of the country, but it had no powers.