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ISLAMABAD: A proposed amendment to rules of procedure and conduct of business in the upper house of parliament is on the Senate’s agenda for Monday which seeks to make it mandatory for prime minister to attend ‘zero hour’ in the house at least once a week.
The amendment proposed by retired Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi seeks to rename ‘zero hour’ as the ‘prime minister’s zero hour’.
In parliamentary parlance, ‘zero hour’ represents an hour in which members may ask any question of national importance without prior notice.
The opposition has been complaining about the absence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from the Senate during the entire parliamentary year.
Mr Mashhadi has proposed insertion of a new sub-section 2-A in Rule 61 under which: “The prime minister shall, whenever possible, personally respond to points raised by members when present in the house. However, he shall attend the ‘Prime Minister’s Zero Hour’ at least once in each week when the Senate is in session.”
Under the proposed arrangement, it will be the joint responsibility of the leader of the house and the chief whip to invite the prime minister to attend the ‘zero hour’ and to inform all members of his attendance one day in advance.
If prime minister is not available, a minister shall respond to the questions. If both the prime minister and concerned minister are not present, the Senate chairman, if necessary, may require the minister to respond to the points raised by the members on a date to be fixed by him.
There shall be no debate or voting on a statement made by prime minister during ‘zero hour’. The member in whose name the item stands shall make a brief statement and the minister concerned shall make a statement on the subject. The statement by the member shall not exceed 10 minutes and statement by the minister shall not exceed 15 minutes.
When contacted, Senator Mashhadi said the proposed amendment was being brought in line with the British parliamentary system where prime minister personally responds to questions raised by members. “When prime minister will come to Senate, other cabinet members will follow suit,” he remarked.
He was optimistic about the passage of the proposed amendment and said he enjoyed the support of different political parties. “But I do not know how the ruling PML-N will react,” he said.
