From Agenda to Action: The Special Session of Senate on the crisis in Gaza

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From Agenda to Action: The Special Session of Senate on the crisis in Gaza

Highlights

  1. The Senate met for 10 hours and 40 minutes in 4 Sittings
  2. The Senate convened special Session to address the situation in Gaza
  3. The House passed a total of four (4) Resolutions
  4. No bill was introduced or passed during the 332nd Session

Working Hours

The 332nd session of the Senate began on October 27 and was prorogued on November 01, 2023. During the session spanning 04 days, 4 sittings were convened. The schedule of the sittings during the session is given in Appendix A.

The 332nd Sessions of the Senate was convened for 10 hours and 40 minutes with an average time of 2 hours and 40 minutes per sitting. The longest sitting of the session was held on Tuesday, October 31, when the house was adjourned after meeting 4 hours and 13 minutes. The shortest sitting was held on Wednesday, November 01 when the House was adjourned after meeting for only 01 hour and 57 minutes.

Agenda Items Left Over

25% agenda items were left over during the 332nd Session.

Quorum

Quorum was not pointed out during 332nd session of the Senate.

Attendance

Senator Dr. Shahzad Waseem, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Punjab, PTI) and Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Leader of the House (Punjab, PML-N) both attended 3 or 75% sitting of the 332nd session. On average, 58 Senators were recorded as present during the 332nd session.

Top 5 Vocal Senators

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani (Sindh, PPPP) was the most vocal Senator during the 332nd session with a recorded talk time of for 36 minutes. He was followed by Senator Syed Ali Zafar (Punjab, PTI) who spoke for 28 minutes. Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar (Punjab, PML-N) spoke for 24 minutes. Senator Molvi Faiz Muhammad (Balochistan, JUIP) spoke for 23 minutes. Senator Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani (Punjab, PPPP) spoke for 17 minutes during the session.

Legislation

No Bills were introduced or passed during the 332nd session.

The session was convened to discuss the Gaza situation. The Senate passed a total of 4 resolutions. These included resolutions on the sad demise of Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and former Senator S. M. Zafar, a resolution marking the occasion of Kashmir Black Day, and a resolution condemning Israel’s crimes against humanity and state terrorism against the Palestinians.

In the first sitting, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning India for what was termed as “brutal state terrorism” in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. However, there was no debate on the matter as the Senators decided not to take up any agenda items in order to pay homage to two colleagues namely Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and former Senator S. M Zafar who had recently passed away.[1]

Caretaker Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, addressed the House highlighting Pakistan’s proactive role amidst the recent tensions in Gaza. He emphasized his diplomatic efforts by informing the House that he, as the foreign minister, engaged with counterparts from key countries within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Turkey, to convey Pakistan’s stance on the issue. Subsequently, the House passed a unanimous resolution. The resolution underscored that no state, since the Holocaust of the 2nd World War, had perpetrated such mass killings, carnage, and war crimes with such unprecedented barbarity and brutality. Additionally, the resolution expressed unwavering solidarity with and support for the oppressed people of Palestine. It also condemned the double standards and hypocrisy of nations supporting Israel, characterizing them as complicit in the crimes due to their opposition to an immediate ceasefire in the besieged Gaza.[2]

Table 01: Time Consumed on Discussion of Policy Issues

 

References

  1. Amir Waseem, “Kashmir resolution adopted in Senate without discussion,” Dawn online, October 28, 2023, accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1784358/kashmir-resolution-adopted-in-senate-without-discussion ↑

  2. Iftikhar A. Khan, “PML-N senator for severing ties with countries backing Israel” Dawn online, November 02, 2023, accessed February 11, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1785711/pml-n-senator-for-severing-ties-with-countries-backing-israel. ↑