Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Absence of ministers on Friday caused uproar in Senate and due to this reason, Senator Raza Rabbani of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced not to speak on the budget in protest.

He, seconding the stance of Opposition Leader in the Senate Dr. Shahzad Waseem on the absence of ministers, said he witnessed the same situation in the tenure of previous government but “two wrongs don’t make a right”.

Rabbani said that the Parliament had been made redundant since last three to four years and it was expected that the government of the day would bring significant changes in the prevailing circumstances and strengthen the national institutions besides parliament.

He lamented that there was a huge cabinet but none of its member was available in the Upper House of the Parliament particularly, at the time when the budget was being discussed which had been presented in the crucial times and when Pakistan was standing at the crossroads.

He said the Finance Minister or State Minister for Finance should have been available at least throughout the session in the House. He urged Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to take action as per rules of the House on the matter saying, “You are custodian of the House, you are the Chairman of Senate, you should ensure that ministers are present.” Rabbani said in his tenure as Senate Chairman, it was happened and he suspended the minister for 10 days.

“Therefore, in order to restore the majesty of the Parliament, I would request you to exercise your influence over the government and ask them to be present in the House,” he added. Earlier, Dr. Shahzad Waseem brought the issue in the notice of the House and expressed his grave concerns.

PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla informed the House that Finance Minister Dr. Miftah Ismail was engaged with the International Monetary Fund through video link. As soon as, he got free, he would be available in the House, he added.

PPP Senator Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani said in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government, Minister of State Ali Muhammad Khan was the only one who used to reply the queries of the respected members pertaining to all the ministries throughout the session.

He said that it would be wrong to say that nobody was noting the minutes adding the Finance Ministry’s officials sitting in the House were pen downing each and everyone’s concerns and proposals.

He said that it was not humanly possible to be present everywhere at the same time although they were performing multiple tasks these days. They would come in the House but they should not go unheard, he added.