PPP walkout heats up Senate session over canal issue
Listen to article
In an interesting development, lawmakers of the PPP on Tuesday staged a protest in the Senate together with lawmakers from opposition parties — the PTI and the JUI-F — against the federal government's controversial canal project.
When the Senate session commenced, PTI lawmaker Saifullah Abro requested Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani to allow him to speak on the canal issue during a point of order.
He said the people of Sindh have been staging a protest for the last seven days. "We have submitted a resolution against the Canal project. We should be allowed to speak on the matter," he added.
However, the chairman, who belongs to the PPP, asked him to discuss the matter after the question hour. Abro, however, staged a sit-in in front of the speakers' dice.
The move also irked the PPP senators who rose from their seats and started chanting "theft of water, unacceptable". Gillani urged the leader of the opposition, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz, to bring the matter for discussion in the house after consulting it with PPP's parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman.
However, the lawmakers did not accept this request and PPP senators staged a walkout in protest.
Talking with reference to the project, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said the matter will be discussed thoroughly, and nothing will be bulldozed through parliament. Cabinet members will respond to questions in the house.
Meanwhile, Yousuf Raza Gillani noted that quorum had been pointed out in the house. PTI members responded by saying that no one had pointed out the lack of quorum. The Senate chairman later announced that the quorum was present.
Taking the floor, Shibli Faraz noted that life in Sindh had come to a halt due to public protests. He also criticized the PPP, which rules Sindh, and accused the party of hypocrisy.
He said President Asif Ali Zardari, who co-chairs the PPP, approved the canal project which is part of the Green Pakistan Initiative in June 2024 but later issued a statement against the project.
Once again, a lack of quorum was pointed out and the chairman ordered a headcount, but this time the quorum was not complete and bells were rung in the Senate galleries.
PTI members raised loud slogans during the session. Senator Humayun Mohmand said, "What could be more shameful than government members themselves pointing out the lack of quorum?"
Senator Falak Naz Chitrali of the PTI shouted: "Shame on PPP!" During this time, only one PML-N Senator, Nasir Butt, was seen sitting alone in the House. The session was subsequently adjourned by the chairman until 10:30am on Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Bilawal slams Indian aggression at Chatham House, calls for global action
A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, engages with members of British think tank, academia, and policymaking community at the Chatham House in London on June 9, 2025. PHOTO: PPP Media Cell/X Listen to article A Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, met with British think tanks and policymakers at Chatham House in London on Monday. Chatham House is the UK's leading think tank, focusing on foreign and security policy issues. Bilawal and other members of the delegation presented Pakistan's perspective on the recent tensions in South Asia, expressing deep concern over India's unprovoked military aggression. 'India's unprovoked military actions pose a serious threat to regional stability,' he said. He added that India's actions are a clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, international law, and the United Nations Charter. The delegation emphasised that Pakistan's armed forces, with the full support of the people, gave a strong response to Indian aggression. They further stated that the Pakistani military successfully thwarted India's attempts to establish a new so-called "normal" in the region. A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by former Foreign Minister and Chairman Pakistan's People Party, @BBhuttoZardari, engages with eminent members of British think tank, academia, and policymaking community at the prestigious @ChathamHouse in London. Read More:… — PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 9, 2025 Bilawal strongly condemned India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, stating that weaponising water violates international norms and sets a dangerous precedent. He urged the international community to take notice of this alarming development and hold India accountable for its actions. He also highlighted that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains a core obstacle to lasting peace and stability in the region. Bilawal called on the global community to support meaningful dialogue and ensure adherence to international commitments and respect for human rights. The delegation included Musadik Malik, Sherry Rehman, Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurram Dastgir, Faisal Sabzwari, Bushra Anjum Butt, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Tehmina Janjua. Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohammad Faisal, was also present during the roundtable conference.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Trump says Musk relationship over, warns of ‘serious consequences' if he funds Democrats
BEDMINSTER: Donald Trump said on Saturday his relationship with his billionaire donor Elon Musk is over and warned there would be 'serious consequences' if Musk funds U.S. Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the president's sweeping tax and spending bill. In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say what those consequences would be, and went on to add that he had not had discussions about whether to investigate Musk. Asked if he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump said, 'I would assume so, yeah.' 'No,' Trump told NBC when asked if he had any desire to repair his relationship with Musk. 'I have no intention of speaking to him,' Trump said. However, Trump said he had not thought about terminating U.S. government contracts with Musk's StarLink satellite internet or SpaceX rocket launch companies. Trump deploys National Guard as Los Angeles protests against immigration agents continue Musk and Trump began exchanging insults this week, as Musk denounced Trump's bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Musk's opposition to the measure complicated efforts to pass the legislation in Congress, where Republicans hold only slim majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. The bill narrowly passed the House last month and is now before the Senate, where Trump's fellow Republicans are considering making changes. Nonpartisan analysts estimate the measure would add $2.4 trillion to the $36.2 trillion U.S. debt over 10 years, which worries many lawmakers, including some Republicans who are fiscal hawks. Musk also declared it was time for a new political party in the United States 'to represent the 80% in the middle!' Trump said on Saturday he is confident the bill would get passed by the U.S. July 4 Independence Day holiday. 'In fact, yeah, people that were, were going to vote for it are now enthusiastically going to vote for it, and we expect it to pass,' Trump told NBC. Republicans have strongly backed Trump's initiatives since he began his second term as president on January 20. While some Republican lawmakers have made comments to the news media expressing concern about some of Trump's choices, they have yet to vote down any of his policies or nominations. Deleted Musk Posts Musk has deleted some social media posts critical of Trump, including one that signaled support for impeaching the president, appearing to seek a de-escalation of their public feud, which exploded on Thursday. During his first term as president, the House, then controlled by Democrats, twice voted to impeach Trump but the Senate both times acquitted him. The White House and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday on the deleted posts. People who have spoken to Musk said his anger has begun to recede and they thought he would want to repair his relationship with Trump. One of the X posts that Musk appeared to have deleted was a response to another user posting: 'President vs Elon. Who wins? My money's on Elon. Trump should be impeached and (Vice President) JD Vance should replace him.' Musk had written 'yes.' On Theo Von's 'This Past Weekend' podcast - recorded on Thursday as the feud between Trump and Musk unfolded and released on Saturday - Vance called Musk's criticism of Trump a 'huge mistake.' 'I'm always going to be loyal to the president, and I hope that eventually Elon kind of comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear. But I hope it is,' said Vance, describing Musk as an 'incredible entrepreneur.' Trump is due to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight card on Saturday in New Jersey. Since his second election win, he has attended two previous UFC mixed martial arts fight cards with Musk. Musk is not expected to attend on Saturday. Trump says 'very disappointed' by Musk criticism Musk, the world's richest man, bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly $300 million in last year's U.S. elections and taking credit for Republicans retaining a majority of seats in the House and retaking a majority in the Senate. Trump named Musk to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending, lauding him at the White House only about a week ago for his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk cut only about half of 1% of total spending, far short of his brash plans to axe $2 trillion from the federal budget.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Bilawal urges India to end ‘excuses', resume dialogue with Pakistan
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday urged India to move beyond what he termed 'repetitive excuses' and engage in meaningful dialogue with Pakistan to address long-standing bilateral issues. Speaking at a press conference in Washington following a series of meetings with US lawmakers, policy experts and think tanks, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman criticized New Delhi's reluctance to resume talks, saying it was counterproductive to regional peace. 'India continues to evade efforts for dialogue and investigations. The excuses vary, be it civil-military dynamics, geopolitics, or blanket narratives linking Muslims with terrorism, but they all serve the same purpose: avoidance,' Bilawal said. Bilawal Bhutto warns of escalating water disputes with India, calls for diplomatic engagement 'It's not sustainable for two nuclear-armed neighbours with such low conflict thresholds to lack any structured dispute resolution mechanism.' The former foreign minister is part of a high-level Pakistani delegation currently visiting key Western capitals as part of a diplomatic outreach initiative aimed at presenting Islamabad's stance on recent tensions with India. The delegation, which includes senior political figures and former diplomats, will also visit London and Brussels in the coming days. Alongside Bilawal, the group includes former foreign ministers Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir Khan, Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt, as well as seasoned diplomats Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua. Bilawal emphasized that Pakistan's civil and military leadership are united in their stance against terrorism, and that dialogue with India is essential for regional stability. He reiterated Islamabad's openness to talks at both political and military levels. 'If India truly seeks peace, it must be willing to engage, whether through direct talks or through mediation by international stakeholders,' he said. 'Unfortunately, New Delhi has rejected all options, be it engagement through the UN, third-party mediation, or bilateral diplomacy.' He further stressed that reversing decisions that have escalated tensions would be a constructive step forward. 'It is in everyone's interest, including India's, to revisit policies that have only led to a diplomatic freeze and increased hostility.' The Pakistani delegation's engagement in Washington is seen as part of a broader attempt to counter India's expanding diplomatic footprint and narrative, particularly in Western capitals.
