• Explanation of the Attorney General as members of both sides of the hall expresses concern for suspension orders on the procedures of the Permanent Committee
• The Senate unanimously adopts the resolution condemning Israel’s sovereignty claim on occupied Bank
Islamabad: In a rare movement, Pakistan’s managerial prosecutor (AGP) has been summoned to appear before the Senate, after the legislators on both sides of the Aisle raised concerns on Friday about the alleged interference at home by the Judiciary, with some senators demanded an immediate appearance of the main right -of -law in the lower house.
The theme was raised by the former vice president of the Senate and the leader of the PPP, Salem Mandviwalo, while Senator Shahadat Awan, also from PPP, was presiding over the session. Mandviwalla expressed concern for the Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC) and the Superior Court of Lahore (LHC) recently issued suspension orders against the procedures of the permanent committees of the Senate.
He said that throughout his legislative career, he had never witnessed such a committees interference work, which are the extension of Parliament.
When qualifying the ‘alarming’ development, Mr. Mandviwalla urged the president to summon the Attorney General and demand a serious explanation. “We have never interfered in judicial procedures,” he said.
Although he acknowledges that the Constitution and the rules do not prevent Parliament or its committees by discussing Sub Judice issues, he said that such discussions are generally avoided by respect for the judiciary. However, in this case, he said, suspension orders were issued despite the absence of pending judicial cases.
“This is a direct interference in the operation and procedures of the parliamentary committees. The attorney general must be summoned and ask what kind of joke is this,” he added.
When Awan said that the Minister of Law was not present and suggested referring the matter to the Attorney General through the Secretariat for review of the case records, Mandviwalla insisted that the Attorney General, not the Minister of Law, was the relevant authority.
In the midst of a uproar with immediate invocation demands of the Attorney General, Awan agreed to issue a notice to address the chamber reserves. “Let the attorney general come home and present it on the facts so that appropriate legal actions can be taken,” he said.
However, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, proposed that the Attorney General to be called to the Senate President’s Chamber.
Violation of article 69
Referring to article 69 (1) of the Constitution, PPP Senator Zameer Ghumro said: “The validity of any procedure in Majlis-i-Shoraora (Parliament) will not be called in question by any irregularity of procedure.” He criticized the orders of stay as violations of the separation of the principle of powers.
“Have we ever interfered at the work of an institution?” asked.
Senator Dilawar Khan said that Parliament was supreme and that there was no justification for any instruction to end their affairs.
The Senator of PTI Saifullah Abro criticized the Minister of Law Azam Nazeer to tanta by the passage of controversial amendments aimed at making the Judiciary a “body without teeth” and demanded that the attorney general be immediately summoned in the Chamber.
Senator Jui-F Kamran Murtaza also deplored the interference of the Judiciary in the affairs of Parliament and said that the disgust must be transmitted to the judiciary.
According to article 57 of the Constitution, the Attorney General has the right to speak and participate in the procedures of the Chamber or in a joint session. However, it is still a question if the attorney general asked a rare appearance before the house or not. Sources in the Senate said that the Secretariat would literally send the procedures and seek a report, which would then be placed before the president of the Senate that would then decide the future course of action.
Resolution in Palestine
Separately, the Senate also unanimously adopted a resolution that condemns the decision of the Israeli Parliament to affirm sovereignty on occupied Bank.
The resolution was transferred to the Chamber by Senator Palwlawla Khan, calling the resolution of the illegal, illegitimate and zero Israeli Parliament and without birth according to international law, the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and Geneva’s conventions.
Accusations against the former minister
A contentious issue arose during the time of the question, when Dr. Chaudhry, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, said that a former finance minister had increased the assignment of a Bisp Nashounuma program to around 20 billion at a time when a company owned by him was the only supplier of specialized nutritional foods under the program.
Chaudhry said the company owned by Miftah Ismail received the contract without following the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the RS97BN rules had been acquired.
He also said that no competitive bidding process was carried out, which is required by virtue of the PPRA regulations.
Although the senators questioned why no measures were taken before, the president, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, sent the matter to a permanent committee of the Senate for consideration.
Later, in a publication on X, Mr. Ismail challenged his former PML-N colleague, Dr. Chaudhry, to present current evidence of his claims and proceed against him in Nab or FIA.
“Ismail Industries has been supplying the World Food Program (PMA) for more than twenty years. The BISP program began before becoming a minister and continued after I left and continued to this day,” said Mr. Ismail.
“Each package that WFP buys from us is in accordance with an international tender under the UN protocols and guidelines and supply the PMA at the same rhythm worldwide. In addition to Pakistan, we supplied many other countries,” wrote the former finance minister.
Posted in Dawn, July 26, 2025
