Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan

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Chairman of
the Senate of Pakistan
صدر ایوانِ بالا
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    The chairman of the Senate of Pakistan (

    Senate must choose a chairman and deputy chairman for a time interval of three years.[2]

    During the

    line of succession to the president of Pakistan, ahead of the speaker of the National Assembly.[4]

    The first chairman of the Senate was

    Habibullah Marwat, while Wasim Sajjad remains the longest-serving chairman. Senator Yusuf Raza Gilani
    elected to Senate in the April 2 election, is the current chairman of the Senate, having assumed office on 9 April 2024.

    Role and responsibilities

    The office of Chairman of the Senate is created by Article 60(1) of the Chapter 2 in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan:[1]

    After the Senate has been duly constituted, it shall, at its first meeting and to the exclusion of any other business, elect from amongst its members a chairman and a Deputy chairman and, so often as the office of chairman or Deputy chairman becomes vacant, the Senate shall elect another member as chairman or, as the case may be, Deputy chairman

    The term of office of the chairman or Deputy chairman shall be 3 years from the day on which he enters upon his office.

    — Article 60(1)–60(2) of the Chapter 2 in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan, source[1]

    The main purpose for the creation of the

    National Assembly was based on the population of each four province.[5] Equal provincial membership in the Senate, thus, balances the provincial inequality in the National Assembly and dispels doubts and apprehension, if any, regarding deprivation and exploitation.[5]

    The role of the Senate is to promote national cohesion and harmony and to alleviate fears of the smaller provinces regarding domination by any one province because of its majority, in the National Assembly.[5]

    The Senate acts as a legislative institution that represents the provinces and territories of the country and promotes a feeling of equality, peace and good understanding between them, which is so essential for the growth and prosperity of a nation.[5]

    Thus, the Senate in Pakistan, over the years, has emerged as an essential organ and a stabilizing factor of the federation.[5]

    History

    After the

    creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, the first Constituent Assembly, elected in December 1945 in undivided India, was assigned the task of framing the constitution of Pakistan. This assembly passed the Objectives Resolution on 12 March 1949, laying down principles which later became substantive part of the constitution.[6] However, before it could accomplish the task of framing the constitution, it was dissolved in 1954.[6] Thereafter, the governor-general convened the Second Constituent Assembly in 1955, which framed and passed the first constitution of Pakistan on 29 February 1956.[6] That constitution was promulgated on 23 March 1956, which provided for a parliamentary form of government with a unicameral legislature.[6] However, from 14 August 1947 to 1 March 1956 the Government of India Act, 1935, was retained as the constitution of Pakistan.[6]

    On 7 October 1958, martial law was promulgated and the constitution abrogated. The military government appointed a Constitution Commission in February 1960 which framed the 1962 Constitution.[6] That constitution provided for a presidential form of government with a unicameral legislature. The 1962 Constitution was abrogated on 25 March 1969.[6] The civil government, which came to power in December 1971 pursuant to 1970 elections, gave the nation an interim constitution in the year 1972.[6]

    In 1973, the constitutional conventional framed the comprehensive constitution which was rectified[

    bicameral legislature: the National Assembly (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The membership of the Senate, which was originally 45, was raised to 63 in 1977 and to 87 in 1985.[6] In 2002, the membership rose to 100 through the legal framework enforced on 21 August 2002. Now there are 104 members.[6]

    Relationship between constituents of the Parliament

    The

    National Assembly (lower house) and the Senate (upper house).[7]

    The president is elected by members of both Houses of the Parliament and the

    four provincial assemblies.[8] The president may be removed from office or impeached through a resolution, passed by not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the Parliament in a joint sitting of the two Houses, convened for the purpose.[9] In case the office of the president becomes vacant for any reason, the chairman, or if he is unable to perform the functions of the office of the president, the speaker, acts as president till such time that a president is elected.[1] Same is the case when the president by reason of absence from Pakistan or any other cause is unable to perform his functions.[1]

    List of chairmen of the Senate

      

    Independent

      Muslim League (N)

      Muslim League (Q)

      

    Pakistan Peoples Party

      Balochistan Awami Party

    Name Entered office Left office Date of Birth and Death Political party
    Provinces
    1
    Habibullah Khan
    		 6 August 1973 5 August 1975 5 December 1978(1978-12-05) (aged 77)
    PPP
    		 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    6 August 1975 4 July 1977
    2 Ghulam Ishaq Khan 21 March 1985 20 March 1988 27 October 2006(2006-10-27) (aged 91)
    IND
    21 March 1988 12 December 1988
    3 Wasim Sajjad 24 December 1988 20 March 1991 (1941-03-30) 30 March 1941 (age 84) PMLN Punjab
    21 March 1991 20 March 1994
    21 March 1994 20 March 1997
    21 March 1997 12 October 1999
    4
    Mohammad Mian Soomro
    		 23 March 2003 22 March 2006 (1950-08-19) 19 August 1950 (age 74) PML(Q)
    Sindh
    23 March 2006 11 March 2009
    5 Farooq Naek 12 March 2009 11 March 2012 (1950-01-03) 3 January 1950 (age 75)
    PPP
    6 Nayyar Hussain Bukhari 12 March 2012 11 March 2015 (1952-12-23) 23 December 1952 (age 72)
    7 Raza Rabbani 12 March 2015 11 March 2018 (1952-07-23) 23 July 1952 (age 72)
    8 Sadiq Sanjrani 12 March 2018 8 March 2024 (1970-04-14) 14 April 1970 (age 55) BAP Balochistan
    9 Yusuf Raza Gilani 9 April 2024 (1952-12-23) 23 December 1952 (age 72)
    PPP
    		 Punjab

    Timeline

    Sadiq SanjraniRaza RabbaniNayyar BukhariFarooq NaekMohammad Mian SoomroPost AbolishedWasim SajjadGhulam Ishaq KhanPost AbolishedKhan Habibullah Khan Marwat

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b c d e Article 60(1) of the Chapter 2: Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan.
    2. ^ Article 60(2), 63(6–7) of the Chapter 2: Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan.
    3. ^ Article 49(1) of the Chapter 1: The President in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan.
    4. ^ Article 49(2) of the Chapter 1: The President in Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan.
    5. ^ a b c d e Senate. "Brief History". www.senate.gov.pk/. Senate press release. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
    6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Senate, pdf. "Senate of Pakistan" (PDF). www.senate.gov.pk/. Senate, pdf format. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
    7. ^ Article 50 in Chapter 2 of the Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan
    8. ^ Article 41(3) in Chapter 1 of the Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan
    9. ^ Article 47(1)-47(8) in Chapter 2 of the Part III of the Constitution of Pakistan

    Public domain sources

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