Islamabad, 15 November,2023(GNP): Senators from various political parties in Pakistan’s Senate raised strong objections on Tuesday regarding the swift approval of a contentious resolution supporting military courts. They demanded an immediate withdrawal of the resolution due to concerns over its expedited passage in the house.
The proceedings were adjourned by Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi amidst protests and insufficient quorum, without addressing any items on the agenda.
During the session, Senator Sadia Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) condemned the hurried passing of the resolution, emphasizing its adoption with only a few senators present.
She clarified that her party does not support military courts, echoing the sentiment of the majority and denouncing the resolution’s endorsement of the Supreme Court’s recent verdict, which declared the civilian trials in military courts unconstitutional.
Also Read: British High Commission, Director Development meets with Planning Minister
The resolution, presented by independent Senator Dilawar Khan and supported solely by Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) senators, criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling as an intrusion on parliamentary legislative authority.
Despite objections raised by a few senators, the resolution was swiftly tabled and approved without debate by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Senator Abbasi and other members strongly contested the resolution’s passage, highlighting its departure from parliamentary norms and questioning the urgency in approving it.
The senators requested the withdrawal of the resolution and urged for a more extensive discussion on the matter, which was denied by the deputy chairman, leading to continued protests and eventual adjournment due to lack of quorum.
Additionally, in response to a query posed by PPP’s Bahramand Tangi, the Senate was apprised that the President’s Secretariat had incurred an expenditure of Rs1.8 billion over the last five years.
The Senate’s abrupt adjournment underscored the disquiet among senators regarding the controversial resolution’s handling and passage, further fueling debates on the military court issue in the country’s legislative forum.
