Pakistan: Rabbani withdraws five bills to protest ‘shrinking space’ for civilians

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan’s former Senate chairman and PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday moved a motion in the house seeking withdrawal of five constitutional amendment bills he had introduced earlier, in protest against the “shrinking space for civilians” in the country’s affairs.

“The Constitution and the constitutional system in Pakistan is under a severe attack,” the PPP senator said while explaining the reasons for his decision. He said that on the one hand, the judiciary had introduced the ‘reading in the Constitution’ doctrine and, on the other, the ISI had been given the role of vetting appointments, transfers, postings and promotions of civil bureaucracy.

“Where are we heading? Which civilian supremacy we talk about?” he asked. He said the civilians were ceding space day by day and, under the given circumstances, he deemed it fit that the bills he had introduced do not burden either a committee or the secretariat.

He said that instead of tabling the bills to amend the Constitution, parliament should stand like a rock to defend the Constitution, system and institutions. “If the 1973 Constitution survives, it can be improved by introducing amendments,” he said.

The motion for withdrawal of the bills was moved, but after listening to some voices of ‘no’, the chair deferred the motion.

Earlier, the house witnessed a war of words after the PTI condemned the government for triggering the price hike in the country.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Wasim, at the very outset of the proceedings, regretted that after the increase in power rates and prices of petroleum products, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had also increased gas prices by 45 per cent.

When Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani interrupted him and suggested that the agenda items be taken up first, Dr Wasim said: “The house is on fire and you are talking about interior decoration.”

He said petrol prices were set to see further surge. “They [the government leaders] have accepted subjugation, but the price is to be paid by the people of Pakistan,” he said and alleged that the public money was being spent by the ruling coalition for personal publicity of its leaders.

About the government’s plans to arrest the PTI chief, he said the house should be set in order and priorities must be reset. “If you want to arrest, then arrest inflation, corruption, price hike and dollar flight.”

Leader of the House in the Senate and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar accused the opposition leader of trying to please his leader. In his counter attack, he said the PTI should be held accountable for the alleged corruption of Farah Khan.

He said the PTI was responsible for the economic mess the country is witnessing today. (Dawn)