PESHAWAR: Yousuf Raza Gillani, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader and former Prime Minister has resigned as leader of the Opposition in the Senate on Monday.
Speaking in the Senate, Gillani said that it wasn’t appropriate to put the bill [state bank of Pakistan amendment act-2021] on the agenda at night. He said that it was a very important legislation that should have been properly debated on the floor of senate. Gillani strongly criticised the chairman senate, saying that chairman and speaker are custodians of the house, they represent the house, not the government therefore the role of chairman and speaker should be neutral. “On January 27, the agenda reached my staff at 11:50 pm and 1o’clock at my house,” he added.
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Yousuf Raza Gillani said that the chairman adjourned the meeting for 30 minutes on voting on the bill, he facilitated the government and not the opposition. He said that as the Leader of the Opposition he had tendered his resignation to the party and did not want to remain in the Senate.
The Senate on Friday passed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 – promises complete autonomy for the bank – was passed by majority of just one vote. The State Bank of Pakistan Amendment Bill but due to the majority of the opposition in the house, the Finance Minister did not introduce the bill. Opposition members called for the Senate to take action on the bill, but the chairman refused to comply, saying “what can I do if the government does not move the bill?”
The Chairman Senate adjourned the sitting for 30 minutes. When the session resumed Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin introduced the SBP Amendment Bill 2022. A total of 43 votes were cast in favour and 43 against but when the Chairman of the Senate polled his vote, the bill was declared passed with a majority of just on vote.
The opposition made a lot of hue and cry during the session and chanted slogans like “a friend of IMF is a traitor”. They tore up copies of the bill and demanded vote recount but the senate chairman adjourned the session.