Collision inevitable if parliament doesn't end de facto state: Babar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Senator Farhatullah Babar said a state within the state is forming and there exists a conflict between the two, adding that if the parliament didn’t end the defacto state then it will lead to a collision.

The Senator, who is among those retiring this month, was delivering his farewell speech at the upper House of the parliament.
In his address, Babar said that the other institutions impinged the authority of the parliament.

Babar said that the accountability committee tried to hold everyone accountable, however, his own party backed away.

He said that the situation is moving towards conflict between the institutions.
The senator said that the 18th Amendment and the shifting of autonomy to the provinces are being rolled back, which can lead to smaller provinces demanding equal status as of Punjab.
The PPP leader said that due to persisting danger the onus of saving Pakistan is on the parliament.

Politicising the judiciary and vice versa has endangered the parliament said the senator.

“It is concerning when the Chief Justice of Pakistan promises that he has no political agenda,” said Babar.
Babar further said that it is concerning when judges lean on ‘contempt of court’ for their integrity.
“There is a wise man in my village ‘Baba Rehmatay’, who says the constitution is superior to the parliament,” said Babar.
“Baba Rehmatay says the Constitution is not what is written, it is what he says,” remarked Babar.
The senator said that when it comes to the scope of influence of institutions the parliament is failing.
In November 2017, Senator Farhatullah Babar resigned from the parliamentary committee on accountability laws.
On October 20, Babar had resigned from Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence, while refusing to share with media his reason for resignation.

Along with Babar, former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Nasreen Jalil, Aitzaz Ahsan will also retire this month.