ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and Senator Sherry Rehman has demanded an apology from Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan following a heated exchange with Senator Palwasha Khan during a Senate committee meeting. She said the conduct displayed by the minister was unacceptable and should not be normalised in parliamentary proceedings.
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The confrontation took place during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Friday. Senator Palwasha questioned whether public funds were used to construct a road that primarily benefited a private housing society in Lahore.
In a post on social media platform X, Rehman said no federal minister had the right to speak in such a manner to an elected senator. She stressed that holding the government accountable was both the responsibility and right of parliamentarians.
What happened today in a Senate Standing Committee can neither become normalised nor considered acceptable. No federal minister should speak the way Mr Aleem Khan did with Senator @PalwashaKhan18 in a Communications committee meeting.
It is her absolute responsibility and right…— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) December 19, 2025
Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan Mandokhail said that after the chairman’s intervention, the minister offered an apology, which Senator Palwasha declined to accept. The brave & fearless Senator @PalwashaKhan18 standing tall against the guilty minister. https://t.co/SXw8BN8kJt
— Rawal Menghwar (@Menghwar_Rawal) December 19, 2025
Rehman said the demand for an apology was not based on gender but on basic respect owed to an honourable member of parliament. She added that such behaviour undermined parliamentary norms and democratic accountability.
During the meeting, the minister responded angrily to the questions and warned that personal attacks would be answered in kind. He accused committee members of being “blackmailers and dishonest,” prompting strong objections from senators.
Senator Palwasha maintained that she had only sought clarification regarding the use of taxpayers’ money. She said questioning public spending was a legitimate parliamentary function and denied making any personal remarks.
The exchange escalated further before the committee chairman, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, intervened to restore order. Following the intervention, the minister offered an apology during the meeting, which Senator Palwasha declined to accept.
Speaking to the media later, Senator Palwasha said she felt humiliated by the remarks and would raise the issue with her party leadership. She questioned why concerns over a publicly funded road allegedly benefiting private interests should not be scrutinised.
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Expressing disappointment, she described the incident as reflective of the broader conduct of the federal cabinet. The episode has reignited debate over decorum, accountability, and respect within parliamentary forums.