ISLAMABAD: The members of the treasury benches in the Senate on Friday urged the opposition members to unite for fighting national challenges with unity.
The session of the Upper House of the Parliament started a debate with the two-point agenda of tabling the copy of the President’s address before both houses of the Parliament and the motion of thanks to extend the Senate’s gratitude to the President for his address to the joint Parliament session.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Senator Sherry Rehman in her remarks extended her felicitations to the Chairman for holding the maiden proceedings after his charge in an exemplary manner.
She said President Zardari’s suggestion should be welcomed as he has invited all political parties to turn a new page in the history of the nation by uniting for the national cause.
The PPPP Senator underscored that her party had rendered sacrifices but always maintained honour and prestige of the state.
She strongly believed that it was important and crucial for the lawmakers to give respect to each other and consider the Parliament the only and the best forum for dialogue for the bright future of the country.
The Chairman during the session also welcomed a group of 33 members from Mehergarh Youth Leadership from Islamabad who were witnessing proceedings of the House.
Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) praised the leadership of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for paving the way for the minorities to become members of the Senate through the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He congratulated the Chairman Senate for declaring August 11th as a symbolic minorities’ day as the then Prime Minister.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Barrister Syed Ali Zafar also congratulated the Chair for assuming the office.
He said the Senate is based on equal representation from the nation but unfortunately, the senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have not been given representation so far.
He expressed his trust in the chair for giving equal rights to all the members as guardians of the House.
Barrister Zafar urged the Chairman Senate to run the affairs of the house strictly as per the rules.
“The biggest duty is that criticism should be taken with open hearts and patience because the Opposition will have harsh criticism based on logic and reason and will debate with responsibility,” he said.
He noted that the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave the concept of a true democracy based on good governance, the rule of law, unity and tolerance.
