Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday urged lawmakers to actively participate in Senate committees and legislative work, saying the Upper House should not be treated merely as a “debating club” for speeches and social media clips.
Responding to points of order raised by various senators, the minister said parliamentary participation was not limited to speeches on the House floor, adding that the real legislative work took place in standing committees where bills and policy matters were discussed in detail.
Tariq Fazal said the Senate, being the Upper House of Parliament, carried its own sanctity and seriousness, urging lawmakers to contribute meaningfully through legislative engagement instead of limiting their role to televised speeches and online circulation of political statements.
Responding to concerns regarding restrictions on the entry of a provincial chief minister into Islamabad, the minister said the federal capital belonged equally to all federating units, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and every Pakistani had the constitutional right to enter the city freely.
He said the government had no intention of denying anyone entry into Islamabad.
However, he said certain security arrangements and precautionary measures became necessary during protests to maintain law and order and protect the rights of Islamabad residents.
Referring to previous demonstrations in the capital, he said violent protests and vandalism had disrupted daily life and affected citizens’ movement, therefore the government was bound to ensure public order while balancing constitutional rights.
