ISLAMABAD: While backing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s demand for allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) after the PTI-backed independent candidates joined it, a PML-N senator on Tuesday questioned the credibility of elections and said the Chief Election Commissioner should have resigned for his failure to hold transparent polls.

“The credibility of the elections is known to all. This abuse must not be advanced anymore”, Senator Saadia Abbasi said, recalling that the 2018 elections, too, were not transparent.

Senator Abbasi said the PML-N was in the same situation in 2018 the PTI finds itself at present. She called for release of PTI women and activists behind bars for months, including Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Sanam Javed, while demanding the issuance of production orders for Senators Ejaz Chaudhry and Shibli Faraz.

A highlight of the day’s proceedings was a noisy protest followed by a token walkout by PTI senators against the continued detention of PTI women leaders and activists.

Lawmakers decry harassment of woman in Lahore, seek release of PTI women activists, leaders

Shortly after the PTI rejoined the session following the lawmakers’ walkout, PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar criticised PML-N and PPP for laying claim on SIC reserved seats, saying he never expected such an undemocratic attitude from them.

He dubbed four imprisoned women of the party as “prisoners of conscience”. Demanding their immediate release, he warned that this practice should be stopped at once, otherwise, women of other parties could face similar situation in future.

Some lawmakers also called for strict action against all those involved in harassing a woman in Lahore for wearing a shirt printed with Arabic calligraphy.

Speaking on a point of public concern, PPP Senator Rubina Khalid said it was unfortunate that a woman in Lahore was harassed only because she was wearing a shirt with Arabic letters printed on it.

“The scenes that have become viral are horrific,” she said and deplored how Arabic letters were misunderstood as holy verses. She said the incident reflected “utter ignorance” and “intolerance” of society. She said the enraged mob would have done something worse if the police had not reached in time to protect the woman.

Objecting to the video in which the victim had to apologise, she questioned why she was forced to make a public apology for the action she had never committed.

MQM-Pakistan Senator Faisal Subzwari said making false allegation of blasphemy was the worst form of disrespect to Islam. “I wish the House could have made a proposed legislation over the misuse of blasphemy laws,” he said, adding that he would love to present that piece of legislation in the house.

JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza said women were seen with respect in society, noting that the detention of PTI women for an indefinite period of time was against the values of society. “This reflects lawlessness in the society,” he said. While naming Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and PPP leader Faryal Talpur, he said what had happened to the women of other parties was also wrong.

Irsa chairman’s power

PPP Senator Shahadat Awan warned against a move to limit the powers of water regulatory authority through an ordinance. He said promulgation of an ordinance while the senate was in session would be unconstitutional.

He said the IRSA chairman bypassing the Council of Common Interests (CCI) tried to curtail the power of the regulatory authority. He said it was beyond the mandate of the caretakers and said the member from Sindh had opposed it.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2024