By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate took the extraordinary step on Friday of summoning the Attorney General to answer for what lawmakers decried as unprecedented judicial meddling in parliamentary affairs.
The move came after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Lahore High Court (LHC) issued stay orders halting Senate standing committee proceedings, igniting a bipartisan firestorm over the boundaries of judicial and legislative power.
The clash erupted during a session chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Former Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla set the tone, expressing dismay at the court interventions. “In all my years in the legislature, I’ve never seen such interference in committee work—committees that are an extension of parliament itself,” he said.
Calling the development “alarming,” Mandviwalla pressed for the attorney general’s immediate appearance, arguing that parliament has long refrained from encroaching on judicial terrain. “We’ve never meddled in court proceedings,” he added, pointing out that the stay orders lacked any pending litigation to justify them. “This is a direct assault on parliamentary functions.”
Awan initially proposed channeling the request through the Senate secretariat, but Mandviwalla’s insistence, and a chorus of support from fellow senators, shifted the momentum. “Let the Attorney General come to the House, lay out the facts, and guide us toward legal recourse,” Awan conceded, agreeing to issue a formal summons. The debate grew heated as senators across party lines weighed in.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry floated a closed-door meeting in the Senate chairman’s office, only to see it shot down. PPP Senator Zameer Ghumro invoked Article 69(1) of Pakistan’s Constitution, which shields parliamentary proceedings from judicial oversight, and labeled the court orders a violation of the separation of powers. “Have we ever overstepped into another institution’s domain?” he demanded.
Senator Dilawar Khan championed parliament’s supremacy, while PTI’s Saifullah Abro took a swipe at Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, accusing him of undermining the judiciary with recent amendments. JUI-F’s Kamran Murtaza joined the fray, urging the Senate to register its outrage formally.
Under Article 57, the attorney general is entitled to address parliament, though it’s unclear whether he will comply with the summons. Senate officials said the secretariat would forward the session’s record to his office and await a report for the chairman to chart the next steps
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