News Detail
Event Title: Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, Chairman Senate Committee on Rules Of Procedure and Privileges presiding over a meeting of the committee at Parliament House, Islamabad.
Event Date: 2025-12-19
The Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, chaired by Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, met today at the Parliament House, Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by Senators Saadia Abbasi, Dost Ali Jeesar, Asad Qasim, Jan Muhammad and Palwasha Khan. Senators Saleem Mandviwalla, Shahadat Awan and Syed Masroor Ahsan also attended the meeting as Mover and Senator Bilal Khan Mandokhail attended the meeting as a special invitee.
During the meeting, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla raised serious concerns over what he termed as direct judicial interference in committee proceedings. He emphasized that courts have no authority to interfere in parliamentary affairs and noted that the Supreme Court has repeatedly directed that parliamentary proceedings should not be obstructed. He strongly recommended that the Senate must not compromise the powers and authority of its committees. It was underscored that committees, while exercising the powers of the House as representatives of the public and as oversight bodies, must remain fully empowered to take up matters of public importance.
Chairman Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi reaffirmed that Parliament is the supreme institution and its organs must be empowered in a manner that allows them to effectively address issues concerning individuals or groups of citizens. However, he cautioned that committees must strictly refrain from taking up or discussing sub judice matters.
Ms. Rabeea Anwar, Specialist on Parliamentary Laws and Procedures, along with the panel of officers, provided a detailed briefing on the proposed amendment, outlining its advantages and disadvantages. Senator Saadia Abbasi expressed the view that every institution must operate within its constitutional domain and avoid interference in the functions of other institutions. She voiced her opposition to the proposed amendment. After deliberations, the majority of the members voted in favor of the amendment, and the Committee unanimously passed it.
The Committee also took up the matter of 77 FIRs registered against students of Quaid-e-Azam University, which have yet to be withdrawn. Police representatives informed the Committee that the FIRs were lodged on the complaint of the Vice Chancellor of Quaid-e-Azam University, a government entity, and therefore the police were unable to withdraw them independently.
The Committee recalled the Vice Chancellor’s earlier commitment to withdraw the FIRs and noted the non-compliance. Consequently, the Committee unanimously decided to summon the Vice Chancellor again to explain the delay and submit the factual position.
Furthermore, the Committee discussed the issue of a misplaced House file in Islamabad. A representative of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented the court order sheet, stating that CDA had regularly attended court proceedings, whereas the petitioner had failed to appear before the Committee. Senator Saadia Abbasi highlighted that citizens face such issues on a daily basis and emphasized that maintaining official records is the sole responsibility of CDA, terming the incident as clear negligence.
The Chairman inquired about the officials responsible and was informed that show-cause notices had been issued to the concerned employees. The Committee decided to keep the matter pending until the conclusion of the court proceedings.
Additionally, Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan raised concerns regarding the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for not responding adequately to his queries. The Secretary tendered an unconditional apology before the Committee, citing technical issues with WhatsApp as the reason for the communication lapse. He assured the Committee that he would remain responsive to the queries of Honourable Senators in the future.