Senate to discuss govt performance at ICJ

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday decided to hold a discussion on the stay granted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav – a serving Indian Navy officer who was awarded death sentence in Pakistan for terrorist and espionage activities.

Sirajul Haq, an opposition member from the Jamaat-e-Islami who tabled the motion, said that the government had not properly presented its case, because of which the ICJ had accepted India’s point of view. Even the Foreign Office did not know how to handle the case, he added.

On his insistence, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani admitted the motion for a two-hour discussion.

Rabbani directed the Foreign Office to send their representatives to answer questions from House members. He also directed the Senate secretariat to send notices to the attorney-general. The secretariat will fix a date for discussion during the ongoing session.

Two other adjournment motions – one regarding seizure of heroin from a PIA aircraft and another on FATA reforms – were not admitted.

State ministers for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Capital Administration and Development Division made statements on two points of public importance relating to the absence of the director-general of the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) from Quetta office and non-payment of salaries of technicians working in the Federal Government Hospital.

The House granted 30-day and 60-day extensions to Standing Committees on Inter-Provincial Coordination and Religious Affairs, respectively, for presenting their reports.

The debate on the Finance Bill 2017 continued in the Upper House in which eight senators participated.

Members on the Senate’s panel on finance said they would submit recommendations on the new budget on Wednesday.

Once the Senate gets the committee’s recommendations, it would send the same to the National Assembly.

However, it is not binding on the National Assembly to accept all or any of the recommendations.

Source: The Express Tribune