ISLAMABAD: The Senate was adjourned to meet again on Monday in around five minutes after commencement, without transacting any business. The reason was once again lack of quorum or in other words lack of interest in the proceedings by members of the House.

As the session of the House resumed after a two-day break immediately after the recitation from the Holy Quran, lack of quorum was pointed out by Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q, forcing the chair to adjourn the House till Monday afternoon.

PPP Senator Rubina Khalid presided over the brief sitting. After the quorum was pointed out, the count was made and the House was found not in order.

Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo of the National Party after the recitation of the Holy Quran, interjected the chair to allow him to take the floor to discuss the matter of Balochistan rights’ activists. However, due to the lack of quorum, he was not allowed to proceed.

Presiding Officer Senator Rubina Khalid of PPP asked the Senator to remain patient till the head count and promised he would be allowed to speak after the exercise. Some other lawmakers also wanted to discuss important issues and continuation of the House, but since lack of quorum was pointed out, it was not technically possible.

NP, JI senators seek discussion on issue of missing persons, extrajudicial killings in Balochistan

According to the Senate Secretariat, 73 lawmakers were absent from the House while 24 were present. At present, three seats are vacant, one of which fell vacant after care-taker PM Anwaarul Haq resigned as a senator.

Two other seats became vacant following resignation by Shaukat Tareen and passing away of Rana Maqbool Ahmad. The order of the day included introduction of some bills as well as laying of ordinances.

On the first day of the new session on Tuesday, the members had barred the caretaker government from laying bills and ordinances, saying with less than two months in elections, what was the urgency in transacting such business by a caretaker set-up.

The chair had to adjourn the House till Friday morning, whereas the sitting time was changed to afternoon the same day.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House later, National Party Senator Tahir Bizenjo and Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad called for a discussion in the Senate on the situation in Balochistan.

Senator Ahmad said that for two days, the Senate session was adjourned as soon as it started. The issue of missing persons, extrajudicial killings and death squads in Balochistan was very serious but it was not being allowed to be discussed on the floor of the House, he said.

Lawmaker Tahir Bizenjo also demanded that the overall situation in Balochistan be discussed on Monday.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2023