Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on 3rd June called for commencing a round of consultations with the provincial chief ministers this week. In a letter addressed to all Chief Ministers the Chairman Senate had proposed a roadmap to create a structured linkage between the Senate and its constituents i.e. the provincial assemblies, in order to ensure that the rights, privileges and provincial autonomy granted to the provinces by the Constitution, 1973, was adhered to and complied with.
It was being proposed that the Senate of Pakistan would provide opportunity to the Provincial Chief Ministers to annually address the Senate to share the achievements, issues and grievances being faced by the federating units or any other issue they deem appropriate to bring to the House of Federation.
This concept was not alien in federal structures more particularly where participatory federalism is practiced. In various international jurisdictions the provinces/territories had a right to speak in the Upper Chamber, the purpose being of creating a link between the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assemblies.
Moreover, a Senate Committee for each province was being proposed consisting of senators from the said province and senior most senator amongst to be its Chairman. The Committee of the province would consider a matter raised by the Chief Minister concerned through his Address or raised in writing with the Chairman Senate.
The Committee would present a biannual report before the House, which should be sent by the senate to the provincial assembly concerned for laying before the Assembly. The purpose of the Committees of Provinces was to break the wall of isolation between the Federal Parliament and the Provincial Assembly to ensure an integrated understanding of the issues and difficulties being faced by the Provincial Governments and to give expression of the same at the Federal level.