Opposition 'bias claim' in civil awards sparks Senate uproar

Express Tribune

8 hours ago

The upper house of the parliament witnessed uproar on Friday as opposition lawmakers accused the government of politicising this year's civil awards by allegedly favouring ministers and treasury benches, while ignoring deserving figures.
The Senate session, chaired by Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, turned heated after he announced that several cabinet members and senators had been conferred national honours on August 14. Opposition members demanded disclosure of the criteria used for selection.
Among the awardees were Ishaq Dar, Mohsin Naqvi, Musadik Malik, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Faisal Sabzwari, Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Bushra Anjum, Ahsan Iqbal and Ahad Cheema. Irfan Siddiqui and Sarmad Ali are to receive their awards on March 23 next year.
Senator Falak Naz Chitrali questioned, "What war did Atta Tarar fight?" while Senator Humayun Mohmand sarcastically remarked that "the designer of the war, Nawaz Sharif, has not been awarded." PTI's Senator Faisal Javed said party social media activists had countered Indian propaganda "day and night" but were ignored, accusing the government of "destroying the sanctity" of the honours.
Defending the awards, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said martyrs and heroes of the Marka-e-Haq had been recognised, including those who lost their homes. He said some senators had "fought on diplomatic fronts abroad" and thanked PTI's social media workers for their online role in the campaign.
The atmosphere grew tense when Senator Faisal Javed raised the omission of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's picture from official Independence Day advertisements, displaying the founder's picture on the Senate floor. "Explain, or we will not let this House run," he warned. Tarar expressed ignorance of the matter, called the omission "hurtful" and promised an inquiry. The House later unanimously adopted a resolution lauding the founding fathers, the framers of the Constitution and the armed forces.
Earlier, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada criticised that while prisoners often receive sentence remissions on August 14, PTI leaders were instead handed "10-year jail terms like Bata sale rates."
Separately, Senator Kamran Murtaza voiced concern over the suspension of mobile internet across 36 districts of Balochistan and alleged closure of rail, road and air links, warning of damage to Pakistan's image.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry clarified that only mobile internet services had been suspended from August 6 to 31 due to "credible security threats" under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Act, 1996. He said telephone lines, airline operations, and road and rail links remained functional.
"These measures are taken in specific areas facing threats, not across unrelated regions," he said, citing past terror attacks in the province, including on the Jaffar Express and the Army Public School in Khuzdar.
On concerns over prepaid internet packages, Dr Chaudhry pledged to take up the matter with the concerned ministry, assuring that unused credit during the suspension period would be carried forward to the next month.
The session was adjourned till Monday evening.