Senate | Pakistan

Amid vocal criticism of a bill aimed at advancing fibreisation across the country, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said on Monday that the party would not support any such legislation in the Senate unless it was “thoroughly discussed threadbare” in the relevant standing committee and the party’s proposed deletions were ensured in the final bill. Concerns about the intentions behind the Pakistan Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill 2026 have intensified due to the timing of the government’s attempt to secure its passage through both houses of Parliament and criticism against its clause to allow telecommunication companies to use public land without a fee. The bill was approved by the National Assembly (NA) on June 11, a day before the presentation of the federal budget 2026-27, and was presented in the Senate on June 15. It was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication on June 15, before being deferred. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also formed a committee to revie...

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Secretariat has terminated all “Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures” with immediate effect and will return to a regular five-day work week with full staff strength from June 22 (Monday). The rollback comes following a US-Iran deal and a subsequent reduction in fuel prices. According to a notification issued on Saturday, and signed by Deputy Secretary HRM-I Qasim Omer, the measures introduced since March 12, 2026, have been withdrawn. The notification, issued with the approval of the chairman Senate, says that the secretariat will work Monday to Friday with full staff strength. The office hours will be 9am to 5pm on non-session days and until the conclusion of a session when it is underway. The notification has been marked for “immediate publication in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary)”. Copies have been sent to all senators, Senate office-bearers, the Cabinet Division, and senior officials. The government imposed fuel conservation and austerity measures in mid-March...

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Thursday adopted 123 recommendations regarding the federal budget for FY2026-27, seeking an increase in the income tax exemption threshold for low-income earners, a reduction in electricity bills and increased taxes on luxury assets. A motion for this purpose was moved by Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue Chairperson Saleem Mandviwalla. The standing committee finalised the recommendations earlier in the day. The report was then laid before the Senate for adoption and would now be transmitted to the National Assembly (NA), as per the Constitution. The NA will take up the recommendations before the final vote on the budget. However, these recommendations are non-binding. Senate’s recommendations include: Increase in the income tax exemption threshold for low-income earners Reduction in tax rates for salaried individuals affected by inflation Rationalisation of 7.5 per cent to 8pc income tax deducted at source to function as simplified final tax regime Expansion of targete...

ISLAMABAD: As senators from the treasury and opposition traded accusations during Wednesday’s budget debate in the Senate, PPP Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan demanded a separate South Punjab province. “Seven million children are born in Pakistan annually, more than in all of Europe. What are we doing for their employment?” he asked during the budget debate in the House. The senator noted that when a province becomes too large, bifurcation becomes necessary. “We will not stay with ‘Takht-i-Lahore’. We want our province. We want separation from Punjab,” he said. He noted that Multan was historically the capital, and that Bahawalpur supported Pakistan at the time of its creation by paying salaries. He also demanded an industrial zone, a high court, and a separate share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for South Punjab, along with agricultural and IT universities. “Bilawal told us to fight for our province. Why is Seraikistan not being made a province?” he asked. Separately, an independent senator fr...

ISLAMABAD - The opposition parties in the Senate on Tuesday rejected the federal budget 2026-27, labelling it a document for what a PTI lawmaker said it stabilises poverty, not economy.

• Sanaullah says 12 reserved seats represent families displaced from held Kashmir • Opposition alleges ‘massive rigging’ in GB elections; PTI stages walkout • Minister tells lawmakers Rs5.4bn disbursed in fuel subsidy • House unanimously passes five bills ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday told the Senate that 12 reserved seats for refugees in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly would not be abolished, saying they represented families displaced from India-occupied Kashmir. Responding to a point raised by the upper house’s opposition leader, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Sanaullah said the seats could not be abolished through executive orders. He added that all political parties in AJK, its parliament and other constitutional for­ums supported retaining refugee representation within the constitutional framework. The adviser said the government had accepted 37 of the 38 demands put forward by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Comm...

Pakistan’s Senate of Pakistan has completed a wide-ranging austerity programme that resulted in savings of Rs1.

President Asif Ali Zardari summoned a session of the National Assembly on June 10, at 5pm in the Parliament House. “The President has summoned the National Assembly session for tomorrow, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 5pm in the Parliament House. The President has summoned the session by exercising the powers conferred under Article 54 Clause 1 of the Constitution,” according to the notification. This will be the “28th session of the 16th National Assembly”, added the notification. President Zardari also summoned a session of the Senate at 4pm on June 10, according to a post on social media by the president’s office. A source in the National Assembly Secretariat told Dawn that both sessions have been called budget sessions for 2026–27; however, it is expected that the budget will be presented in Parliament on June 12. The sessions were reportedly convened for the budget and to line up members before its presentation. Under Article 63, Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) could be disqualified if they abstain...

ISLAMABAD: The Senate has surrendered Rs1.436 billion to the national exchequer after a year-long austerity drive, exceeding the Finance Division’s target by 500 per cent and setting what officials called a new benchmark for fiscal discipline. The amount makes up 15.9pc of the upper house’s total budget for 2025-26, according to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday. Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered the expenditure rationalisation programme within his own office before extending it across the secretariat. Gilani said the Rs1.436bn represented “actual, realised savings” and not projected cuts or deferred liabilities. Among the measures, the Senate suspended 17 of the 18 procurement projects approved by its finance committee. Recruitment and non-essential spending were rationalised, while administrative overheads and operational costs were placed under “strict scrutiny”. The official transport fleet was “substantially grounded”, fuel allocations were capped and monitored, and ref...

• US consul general meets Senate chairman • Regional peace, economic ties discussed LAHORE: Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani has expressed concern over India’s unilateral actions regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying that “any attempt to use water as a tool of coercion undermines regional stability and threatens the livelihoods and food security of millions of Pakistanis”. He was speaking to United States Consul General Stetson Sanders, who called on him here on Saturday. Mr Gilani called upon the international community to support the restoration of treaty obligations and adherence to international law. Following the unilateral suspension of the IWT in April 2025, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India escalated dam construction and began heavily regulating water at existing facilities such as the Baglihar Dam, posing a threat to Pakistan’s water supply. Mr Gilani and Mr Sanders exchanged views on matters relating to Pakistan-US ties, trade and investment, besides regional peace and sec...

President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned separate sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate on June 5 to announce the federal budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2026-27. According to an official press release issued by the Presidency on Friday, the NA has been summoned at 5pm on June 5, while the Senate session is scheduled for 6pm. Meetings of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) and the National Economic Council (NEC) — forums which review economic and development performance during the outgoing FY and set targets for the following year — are scheduled in the first week of June. The schedule hints that presentation of the federal budget to parliament may slip to the second week of June from the first week, as earlier contemplated by the authorities concerned. The government is set to approve a consolidated national development programme of more than Rs3.5 trillion and a macroeconomic framework envisaging an economic growth rate of 4.1 per cent with an elevated inflation rate of 8.5pc for FY2026-...

• Minister says no proof of Pakistanis being singled out in Gulf state • Reveals 3,494 Pakistani nationals deported between January and April, describes reports of victimisation as ‘propaganda’ ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday told the Senate that around 3,494 Pakistanis had been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between January and April this year, but claimed there was no evidence suggesting that Pakistani nationals were being specifically targeted in the Gulf state. Responding to a calling attention notice moved by upper house opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas, Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Azam Swati on the issue, the minister said those deported included individuals involved in various criminal cases, while some had been sent back under administrative actions taken by the UAE authorities. These deportations, he continued, could not be linked to any discriminatory policy against Pakistani nationals, noting that over two million Pakistanis were residing in th...

ISLAMABAD: The treasury and opposition sparred in the Senate on Tuesday over a rising wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Attaur Rehman asking whether the province had been “handed over to terrorists”. Speaking in the House, Senator Rehman accused the government of indifference to KP’s security situation, saying its focus on legislation was “in no way more important than the lives of the people of KP”. “Why has our blood turned white? Why is there no concern for KP?” Rehman asked. “Blood is being spilt there and you’re worried about your bills. Are these bills so important that human blood keeps flowing while you keep passing legislation?” He cited attacks in Lakki Marwat and Bannu and said the provincial chief minister was “still out on tours”. “Have some sense of our wounds. Why are Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s conditions not being given importance?” he said. Responding to the senator’s remarks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry s...

• Seeks probe into ‘sudden and suspicious’ transfer of ex-PM’s spouse to medical centre from Adiala jail • Rana Sanaullah advises party to pursue matter through legal channels ISLAMABAD: PTI senators walked out of the Senate on Thursday after the party’s parliamentary leader in the House, Syed Ali Zafar, raised alarm over reports that Bushra Bibi was “suddenly and suspiciously” taken to a hospital from Adiala jail during the night and returned without any disclosure, calling it a “serious human rights violation”. Raising a point of order, Mr Zafar said the reports had caused “grave apprehension and concern throughout the country”. He termed the situation “highly strange and secretive” and said it raised several questions. “If Bushra Bibi was unwell, why has the nation not been informed about her medical condition? To which hospital was she taken? What medical tests were conducted? Which doctors examined her? Why was she immediately brought back to jail?” he asked. He said the silence of the government and jai...

ISLAMABAD: Senate Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasar on Monday took notice of security lapses and poor facilities at the Parliament Lodges, summoning the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and security officials and ordering a comprehensive report within three days. Parliament Lodges house members of the National Assembly and Senate in the capital. Security and maintenance issues have been a recurring issue at the lodges. Chairing an emergency meeting at Parliament House, Nasar expressed displeasure over the unauthorised entry of unrelated persons in the Parliament Lodges and termed the security flaws a “serious threat”. He directed authorities to submit details of all complaints received at the lodges and the subsequent action taken. The deputy chairman also raised questions over delays in renovation and repair work, and expressed dismay at the poor condition of lifts. Citing his own experience of getting stuck in a lift, he called such incidents an “administrative failure”. Lack of progress despite repeated...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday halted the by-election for the vacant Senate seat of PTI leader Murad Saeed and issued a stay order after a petition challenged the legality of the de-notification process, adjourning further proceedings. A three-member bench of the ECP heard the petition regarding the matter and issued notices to all concerned parties. During the hearing, the lawyer for petitioner MPA Jalal Khan appeared before the commission and stated that Saeed had been elected senator but did not take the oath of office. He argued, “Since Saeed did not take the oath, questions arise over how he was de-notified as a member,” adding that a person is considered a member of the house only after taking the oath. The petitioner’s counsel further requested the ECP to postpone the by-election and remove the existing ambiguity in the matter. After hearing the arguments, the ECP accepted the request and put the scheduled April 23 by-election on hold, issuing a stay order and adjournin...

PESHAWAR - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has established an election tribunal to hear appeals regarding the upcoming by-election on a vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Tu­­esday directed the Ministry of Defence to conduct an impartial third-party inquiry into the alleged misconduct of Pakistan Interna­tional Airlines (PIA) cabin crew with a parliamentarian. The directive stems from a privilege motion moved by Senator Bilal Ahmad Khan Mandokhail on February 12, 2026, regarding alleged misconduct by Ms Saima Rana, a cabin crew member on PIA flight PK-326 from Quetta to Islamabad on February 7. The committee recalled that its recommendations issued on February 17, 2026, had called for grounding both the cabin crew member and the pilot involved. However, it observed that PIA failed to implement these directives. Senator Mandokhail expressed disappointment over the airline’s non-compliance, stating that the crew continued performing duties despite clear instructions. Incident occurred on flight PK-326 on February 7 The directives were issued during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges at Parliament House...

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Monday rejected a PTI lawmaker’s bill seeking amendments to the Elections Act for enhancing the participation of women in the political process after opposition by almost all the other parties. The development came as the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, under the chairmanship of Senator Tahir Khalil, considered the Elections (Amendment) Bill. One of the provisions sought that all political parties ensure that at least 33 per cent of total office‑bearers at federal, provincial and district levels are women, and that allocation of poll symbol should be denied to those parties which failed to comply. The bill, moved by PTI Senator Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, also proposed conducting intra-party elections by secret ballot under an accredited independent election authority. “At least 33 pc of positions filled through internal elections must be reserved for women, with proportional allocation for non‑Muslims and persons with disabilities,” the proposed bill said. “Th...

ISLAMABAD: Telecom companies (telcos) and banks faced-off on Wednesday before a Senate panel meeting that focused on complaints by bank customers regarding being overcharged through regulatory or unauthorised messaging services. Representatives of the banks and telcos blamed each other for charging an extra fee — which collectively amounts to Rs26 billion — to bank customers during the meeting. This led the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, led by PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, to dig deep into the matter and ask both sides, as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), to provide their transaction details and rates of service charges. The meeting also decided to seek the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) assistance. Some senators were of the view that banks should not separately charge SMS fees, and that it should either be included in their service charges or rationalised. At the outset, Pakistan Banking Association (PBA) President Zafar Masud said there were two types of SMS charges, pertain...