ISLAMABAD: The Senate began its special commemorative session here at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Wednesday with Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in the chair.
The special commemorative session marks the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Senate of Pakistan. At the outset, the Chairman highlighted the role of the Upper House in strengthening parliamentary democracy in Pakistan.
He announced that the current session will continue for three days. Sadiq Sanjrani said former Chairmen and members of the Senate, Speakers of the four provincial assemblies, Chief Ministers of provinces, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Governor and Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, representatives of Chambers of Commerce and Industries as well as Bar Councils, and foreign envoys working in Pakistan will address the commemorative session.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan’s stability, progress and prosperity hinges on the continuity of the democratic system with stringent and transparent fiscal discipline. Speaking in the Senate, he said this requires continuous collaborative and sustained efforts.
He said the Senate stands tall as an effective institutional mechanism to maintain unity and solidarity of the federation and provides equal representation to provinces and guards their interest. He said, despite challenges, the Senate made this mark as a federal chamber, dedicated to majority and maintaining balance of power between the two houses.
Ishaq Dar, who is also Leader of the House in the Senate, further said that the Upper House also made significant headway as a deliberative chamber with great and diverse experience, contributing to the quality of legislation. He said the Senate has played a role of a linchpin in forging national unity and cohesion, providing a dependable platform to manage conflicts and dispute resolution among provinces with complete institutional legitimacy.