ISLAMABAD: A joint meeting of the Senate and National Assembly’s Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice was held in Islamabad to deliberate upon various constitutional and legal matters. During the proceedings, a proposal was presented suggesting that constitutional officeholders such as the Chairman Senate and the Speaker National Assembly may also be granted immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The proposal was moved by Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Mahmood Bashir Virk.
He maintained that since the offices of the Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly are constitutional in nature, they should, in principle, enjoy similar immunity as accorded to the Governors under Article 4 of the Constitution. The rationale behind this suggestion, according to Virk, was to ensure parity and legal protection for constitutional functionaries performing critical roles within the parliamentary structure.
However, when this proposal was brought to the notice of Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, he categorically declined to endorse any such privilege. The Speaker maintained that no individual, regardless of position or office, should stand above the law. He emphasized that accountability and transparency are cornerstones of democratic governance and that the public’s trust in institutions depends on the personal integrity of its representatives.
“I am, first and foremost, a representative of the people and an office-bearer only afterward. I do not seek, nor will I ever accept, any form of immunity,” said Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
The Speaker reiterated his unwavering belief that all public officeholders must remain answerable to the Constitution, the rule of law, and the citizens who have entrusted them with their mandate. He added that leadership carries an obligation of service and responsibility, not privilege or protection.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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