F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani has ended the self-imposed boycott of the Upper House of the Parliament after his production orders for two lawmakers were partially implemented on Saturday.
At last on the production order of Gilani, PTI Senator Aon Abbas Bappi was taken to the Parliament on Saturday and handed over to the serjeant-at-arms amid tight security. Later, the legislator attended the House proceedings. Following the production of the PTI senator, Gilani, too, ended the boycott of the Senate session.
The Senate chairman had not presided over several sessions of the upper House of the parliament in protest against the non-implementation of his order for production of lawmakers. Later, speaking to the media, the senator thanked the House chairman for issuing his production order. “I was brought to the parliament after an eight-hour journey in a daala,” he revealed.
Bappi, however, said he would have been more pleased if PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry too had been produced in the House, for whom the Senate chairman had also issued production order. The senator then walked up to Gilani’s chamber and had a meeting with him.
During the session, the chairman, in his ruling on the non-implementation of the production order for Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, said he wielded his powers to issue the order. “But the senator was not produced in the House,” he said, adding, “I refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.”
Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution recommending the government takes accelerated measures to ensure and enhance women’s economic inclusion.
The resolution moved by Senator Sherry Rehman, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, called for designing and building infrastructure that meets the needs of women by improving transport safety, workplace child facilities and access to digital and financial resources to support their economic participation.
The resolution demanded that women should be provided with quality education and training by eliminating barriers to schooling and promoting literacy programs. The resolution stated that women should be involved in sustainable agriculture and food security by equipping them with technical training and ensuring land rights and access to agriculture financing to enhance their role in climate resilience and food sustainability.
The resolution said it must be ensured that women have the right to make healthy choices and not forced to marry while they are underage. It stressed that women should be helped in making informed decisions about their health by reforming healthcare policies, ensuring access to reproductive health services and prioritizing mental and maternal healthcare. The resolution called for ensuring women’s access to legal rights and action against gender-based violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.
It demanded elevating participation of women in sports by increasing investment in female athletes. The house also called upon all stakeholders including the government, civil society organizations and private sector to join hands in the collective pursuit of gender equality and women empowerment. At the outset, newly elected Senator Asad Qasim took oath of office. Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani administered the oath. The house has now been adjourned to meet again on Tuesday at eleven-thirty am.