PM should have stayed in country due to security situation: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairperson Raza Rabbani expressed displeasure over the absence of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from the session, saying the premier should have stayed in the country, due to the law and order situation in the country, instead of leaving for Saudi Arabia.

Rabbani also expressed displeasure over Interior Affairs Ahsan Iqbal’s absence from the session. 

Criticising the interior minister, the Senate chairman said Iqbal can reach the high court in 15 minutes, but was not interested in the parliament and its affairs and asked who would brief the ministers if the interior minister did not. 

Iqbal should have attended the Senate session as the country has just undergone a critical phase, Rabbani said. 

The Senate chairperson was addressing the recent developments concerning the law minister’s resignation, the operation which was held to clear the protesters and the ensuing protests which led to disruption in the country’s law and order situation.

State Minister for Interior Affairs Talal Chaudhry, present in the session, asked for time until Tuesday and said the lawmakers would be apprised then.

Delimitation bill not passed

The Senate session was adjourned without the bill on the delimitation of constituencies being passed.

The session was held for the fourth time to discuss the bill, which has been approved by the National Assembly.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2017 pertains to the fresh delimitation of constituencies in line with the provisional results of the latest census in light of the general elections next year.

Previously, the upper house tried thrice to pass the bill but absence of lawmakers, from both the opposition and treasury benches, always delays the bill.

According to the new delimitation, Punjab's seat share in the National Assembly will decrease by nine seats, while Islamabad will get one more seat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa five and Balochistan three more.

NA seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Sindh will remain unchanged.

Earlier, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had said after chairing a meeting of parliamentary parties that the total NA seats will remain 272 but there would be a change in the allocation of NA seats for the provinces.

On November 13, the Council of Common Interests approved delimitation of new constituencies on the basis of provisional results of Population Census 2017, paving a way for timely conduct of next general elections.