Uproar in Senate over CJP’s remarks about parliament

Uproar in Senate was observed over CJP’s remarks about parliament!

A heated debate between the treasury and the opposition members was witnessed in the upper house on Friday over Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s remarks about parliament made during a hearing on Thursday.

What did CJP say?

Heading a three-member bench on the appeal against the NAB law amendments on Thursday, CJP Umar Ata observed that that the problems facing the country could only be addressed through the people’s decision.

The CJP said, “The current parliament has been systematically kept incomplete”, adding that the legislation taking place in the current “parliament is also becoming controversial” as a result.

He said that the present parliament was deliberately kept incomplete.

Senate Session

The chief justice’s remarks echoed in the Senate session on Friday, Feb 10, chaired by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui raised the issue in the house.

He said that parliament was the representative of the people of Pakistan and not the judiciary or the armed forces.

Siddiqui said that the chief justice had given such remarks that had no direct relation to either parliament or the elections.

He added that the chief justice called only one prime minister honest, which would probably be Muhammad Khan Junejo.

“Who gave him the privilege to call everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest,” Siddiqui questioned.

“Have we [parliamentarians] ever named a single judge and said that only one judge is honest,” he added. “Let us make it clear, we respect the judiciary.”

“How did the chief justice say that parliament became controversial? Don’t take the whip and beat parliament on its back every day,” the senator added.

On the other hand, the leader of the Opposition Shehzad Waseem of the PTI supported the chief justice’s remarks, saying that the largest party had been kept out.

“Parliament is really incomplete,” he said and stressed that criticism must not be taken as contempt.

“If the chief justice pointed out something, it should be taken as criticism, and not contempt,” Waseem told the house.

“If elections are not held in 90 days, then close the book of Constitution and open the gates of civil unrest,” he added.

Meanwhile, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz was more critical of the speech of PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui.

He said that the PML-N senator “says that the Supreme Court is giving us direction, but they [the ruling coalition] should be ashamed that you used this house” to amend the NAB laws. “You are trying to save the corruption of your leaders.”