ISLAMABAD: Irked by persistent attempts from the government to demean the upper house of parliament, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Friday invoked his special powers to adjourn the proceedings for an indeñnite period and left the house threatening to resign over the government`s continued apathy.

The Senate chairman has repeatedly complained that questions either remain unanswered or are partially responded. Moreover, most of the ministers remain absent.

The dramatic episode started when a previously deferred quesdon asked by Senator Farhatullah Babar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)about the postretirement perks and beneñtsofgrades21and220fñcers of civil bureaucracy came up before the house.

In a startling reply, the establishment division said the question had been referred to the finance ministry which had not yet accepted it. The establishment division had given the same reply during aISLAMABAD: Irked by persistent attempts from the government to demean the upper house of parliament, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Friday invoked his special powers to adjourn the proceedings for an indeñnite period and left the house threatening to resign over the government`s continued apathy.

The Senate chairman has repeatedly complained that questions either remain unanswered or are partially responded. Moreover, most of the ministers remain absent.

The dramatic episode started when a previously deferred quesdon asked by Senator Farhatullah Babar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)about the postretirement perks and beneñtsofgrades21and220fñcers of civil bureaucracy came up before the house.

In a startling reply, the establishment division said the question had been referred to the finance ministry which had not yet accepted it. The establishment division had given the same reply during a previous sitting of the house.

Taking exception to it, Mr Rabbani lamented that similar questions asked about the parliamentarians and judges had been answered, but these about civil and military bureaucracy were not being answered.

The question pertained to pension and other benefits to officers of civil bureaucracyin BS-21 and BS-22, admissible upon retirement, the basis of pension and postretirement benefits (whether legislation, rules/regulations or executive order) with a copy thereof and instances, if any, of post-retirement benefits availed by any officer over and above those permissible during the last 10 years.

Through four questions, details of postretirement benefits of judges, members of parliament, civil bureaucracy and senior of ficers of defence forces had been sought.

Friday`s question hour was followed by an adjournment motion moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement`s Mian Attique on overbilling by the Multan Electric Power Company only to find that the relevant minister was not present, forcing a frustrated opposition to walk out of the house.

Besides the opposition lawmakers, Senator Nisar Mohamamd Khan of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and three members of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) also staged the walkout, accusing the government of deliberately reducing the Senate`s position to a mere `post of fice`.

In reply to the question about post-retirement benefits of senior officers of the defence forces, the defence ministry had at a previous session said this information was being collected and the question was deferred. The answer which finally came on April 11 only gave figures of pension and special additional pension but not other post-retirement perks and benefits.

It was also deferred and a complete reply to the question is still awaited. `The Senate is making all-out ef forts to play its constitutional role to strengthen the federation. But the way I want to run this house has become impossible. If the Senate is being belittled because the government is not happy with me, I am ready to step down,` Mr Rabbani said.

`The situation between the federation and the provinces is grave. The confrontation between the provinces and the Centre is alarming; ... constitutional demands are not being met. The Senate tried to play its due role. We resolved 24 points sent tothe Senate by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa quite amicably,` he added.

`We took up the water issue of Sindh and are making ef forts to find a solution to the gas dispute between Sindh and the Centre. In short, we wanted to play our due role, but it seems the government is not ready to accept the constitutional role of Senate,` he lamented.

Amidst back-to-back walkouts, Mr Rabbani said he left this to the house to decide whether he should quit or continue, adding that if the house wanted him to leave he would call it a day without wasting even a single second.

After these remarks, an angry Raza Rabbani, using his discretionary power, adjourned the house proceedings sine die.

Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid tried to pacify the chairman, saying the government would try to find a solution to the problem by calling a meeting of federal secretaries and even the ministers.

But the chair turned down his request.

Earlier during question hour, when Mr Rabbani resumed the session after suspending it for about 35 minutes, only the minister of state for water and power joined the minister of state for petroleum, while the law minister was summoned by the chair, who rushed to the house from the National Assembly.

The opposition lawmakers assured their full support to the Senate chairman in his struggle to improve the prestige and dignity of the house which, they alleged, had been turned into a `debating club` by the government.

Leader of the house Raja Zafarul Haq was not present, but treasury member Nisar Khan said the leadership had hijacked the party, restricting it merely to Lahore. Senator Azam Khan Swati, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf, said his party would not return to the house until the government ensured the presence of its ministers. Senator Sardar Musakhel of the PkMAP said his party also stood by the chairman. MQM`s Tahir Hussain Mashhadi accused the government of ignoring the rulings of the chairman. PPP Senator Taj Haider said the government wanted to roll back the 18th Amendment through such tactics.

After adjourning the proceedings indefinitely, Raza Rabbani directed the secretariat not to send him any files and also cancelled his scheduled visit to Iran.

Various efforts made to persuade Mr Rabbani, including the one by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who visited his residence, failed.