ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Palwasha Khan has filed a privilege motion against a Federal Minister Aleem Khan, asserting that the issue went beyond personal differences and struck at the core of Parliament’s dignity.
A fresh confrontation erupted in Parliament after Senator Palwasha Khan, alongside Senator Sehar Kamran and other colleagues, announced the submission of a privilege motion against a federal minister in the Senate Secretariat and said that the issue was not personal but related to the sanctity and dignity of Parliament.
Palwasha Khan questioned whether elected representatives had the right to ask questions in the House, warning that if the prevailing attitude of intimidation continued, the entire Parliament could be held “hostage.” She said those accustomed to serving vested interests often see conspiracies behind every question raised in the House.
Recalling an incident from several years ago, Palwasha said she had raised a parliamentary question regarding the construction of a road funded by public tax money, but never received a response. “My question was simple: was this road being built for the general public or for a specific housing society?” she said, adding that anger over such questions reflected a problem with accountability, not with the questions themselves. She stressed that one unanswered question inevitably gives rise to many more.
Palwasha Khan criticised what she described as abusive language in Parliament, saying that politics was not meant to be a spectacle, yet was being turned into one.
“Use of abusive language only shows that you don’t have anything to argue,” she said, adding that attempts to silence questions through pressure would not succeed.
She asked whether there was any stain of corruption or allegations of wrongdoing against her, warning that if individuals associated with her were to speak openly, many truths would be exposed.
“Those living in glass houses should not throw stones,” she remarked.
Senator Sehar Kamran said that the matter would now be taken up in the Senate, and President Asif Ali Zardari would take the final decision. She added that not only the Senate but also the National Assembly stood by Senator Palwasha Khan, and that women parliamentarians from all political parties expressed solidarity with her.
“This is not just about one member or one committee; it is about the violation of parliamentary privilege and the insult of the entire Parliament,” Sehar Kamran said, calling on human rights bodies, women’s rights organizations, and other institutions to take notice. She praised Senator Palwasha Khan for refusing to bow to pressure, saying she deserved appreciation for standing firm on principle.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments