ISLAMABAD:
As 2024 winds down, the yr introduced sweeping adjustments to the Senate, as elections ushered in recent management, new faces and a legislative agenda that promised a lot but additionally confronted main hurdles.
The higher home of parliament turned a crucible for legislative debate and political drama, shaping the nation’s coverage panorama whereas navigating a fair proportion of turbulence.
With new faces getting into the parliamentary fray, the Senate performed a key function in shaping the legislative panorama.
With the Senate’s parliamentary yr historically ending on March 11, the yr 2024 marked a serious shift because the elections introduced in new members and redefined the home’s management.
The PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani, a seasoned political heavyweight of the PPP, secured the Senate chairmanship, whereas the deputy chairmanship went to Syedaal Khan Nasar of the PML-N from Balochistan.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, additionally serving as deputy prime minister, took up the mantle of chief of the home, whereas PTI Senator Shibli Faraz was handed the reins of the opposition.
The brand new blood included figures like Aimal Wali Khan, Raja Nasir Abbas, Ahsan Cheema, Sarmad, Nasir Butt and Bushra Anjum Butt, setting the stage for a recent crop of lawmakers to make their mark.
Within the parliamentary yr, the Senate witnessed the introduction of 52 non-public members’ payments and handed 40 of them. Nevertheless, illustration from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained conspicuously absent, with the federal government attributing this to the earlier PTI-led provincial administration.
Based on Federal Regulation Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, a very powerful legislative accomplishment was the twenty sixth Constitutional Modification Invoice, which sailed by the Senate.
Different key payments included the madrassa registration invoice, the Nationwide Forensic Company Invoice 2024, and amendments to the Pakistan Military, Air Power, and Navy Acts, amongst others. The federal government efficiently handed 45 payments, whereas 10 resolutions addressing varied points had been additionally adopted.
Senator Shibli Faraz, chief of the opposition, criticised the legislative priorities, asserting, “No legal guidelines within the public curiosity had been enacted this yr”.
PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhary was notably sidelined, with no manufacturing orders issued for him all year long.
A heated altercation between Senator Falak Naz Chitrali and Senator Faisal Vawda resulted in Chitrali’s three-day suspension by Chairman Gilani.
The arrest of former senator Mushtaq Ahmed additionally sparked an outcry amongst sitting senators, whereas JUI-F emerged as a key participant in legislative negotiations, leveraging its five-member presence successfully.
Inside accountability
Yusuf Raza Gilani initiated an inquiry into irregular appointments beneath former chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, involving 502 unlawful hires and 250 deputation placements. Nevertheless, the probe was mysteriously shelved.
Minority senators like Dinesh Kumar had been significantly energetic in advocating for his or her communities.