Once again, the Senate meeting held on Tuesday echoed the uproar over the explanatory letter of the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi following ‘misconstrued’ comments by the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) on honest prime ministers in the country’s history.
The bedlam in the Senate forced Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to adjourn the session.
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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani initiated the protest today and the opposition parties echoed him. As a result, a commotion broke out.
In an exasperated manner, Rabbani said that the clarification from the AGP was analogous to ‘contempt’ on the Senate.
He said that the AGP dared to explain the proceedings of the house despite that he was not a member.
“He cannot control the proceedings of the House nor tender explanation on its behalf,” Rabbani said.
Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar criticized social media for misinterpreting CJP Umer Atta Bandial’s ‘honest prime minster’ remarks.
Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, Tarar debunked the CJP’s comments, saying the remarks were misinterpreted.
The minister said that the AGP wrote a letter to him, stating that the remarks were reported out of the context.
The letter explained that the statement was being shared with the law minister with the hope that he may share the correct facts with his fellow parliamentarians for setting the record straight.
AGP in his letter maintained that he was present in the court during the hearing and could confirm that the CJP in his remarks did not say that only one prime minister was honest in the history of Pakistan during the proceeding on Imran Khan’s petition against NAB amendments.
“An incorrect version of certain observations by the Chief Justice of Pakistan made that day during the proceedings of Constitution petition no. 21/2022 titled Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi vs Federation of Pakistan [is being] circulated on social media platforms,” the AGP said in the letter.
Where it started
A heated debate occurred in the Senate on Friday between the treasury and opposition benches over the CJP’s remarks about parliament.
The chief justice had stated that the current parliament was deliberately kept incomplete, and the legislation being passed was becoming controversial.
While the PTI senators supported the observations made by CJP Bandial, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui disagreed and argued that the judiciary and armed forces should not interfere in parliamentary matters.
Siddiqui emphasized that parliament was the representative of the people and lawmakers enacted laws after due deliberations, and that the CJP’s remarks were uncalled-for and disrespectful.
