Senate devolves into squabbling as opposition protests Palwasha Khan presiding over session
The Senate witnessed squabbling between the treasury and opposition benches on Friday as the PTI called out PPP Senator Palwasha Khan for chairing the session in the presence of Senate Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir.
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani presided over the proceedings but went away 40 minutes into the session, upon which Senator Palwasha began chairing the session.
Soon after, PTI Senator Fauzia Arshad said it was regrettable that Palwasha was presiding over the session while the deputy chairman was present. Palwasha replied it was the chairman’s prerogative to make that decision, adding that the deputy chairman arrived after she had already begun chairing the session.
Amidst Senator Arshad’s interruption, Palwasha repeatedly told the opposition benches to decide among themselves who they wanted to speak next.
Continuing with a similar line of criticism as his fellow PTI senator, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz said: “Don’t make a mockery of the House and don’t damage its sanctity. This is no way that you seat the deputy chairman, who has a role in the chairman’s absence, and you make him a decoration piece.”
The opposition leader and Palwasha had a heated exchange as the latter said the deputy chairman came in after her while Faraz maintained that Nasir was already seated in the Senate.
Palwasha asked the opposition leader to mind his tone to which the senator questioned the way she was speaking to him.
“I am speaking to you the same way you’re speaking to me,” she retorted as she turned to the treasury benches and ordered Rana Mehmoodul Hassan to be given the mic.
As clamouring continued from the opposition benches, Palwashed chastised them, saying: “Fine, continue to create a ruckus. I choose to ignore you.”
She subsequently ordered that PPP Senator Farooq Naek be given the mic to speak, saying: “I do not fall for this hooliganism, and this cannot go on.”
As Naik attempted to speak, Faraz interrupted and said it was “shameful” that the PMLN sent its own chairman out of the House to which Palwasha retorted: “It’s alright, he doesn’t have an issue with this.”
Asking which rule was violated by Palwasha presiding over the session, Naek said: “The Senate chairman gives a list of presiding officers. Who presides in the absence is the prerogative of the chairman. He can tell any presiding officer to preside over the session. And the way you are presiding right now, this is within the Senate rules.”