ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan, in collaboration with the four provinces, is going to celebrate the Constitution Day on April 10. This year’s theme is ‘Enhancement of role and powers of Senate to protect the rights of the federating units’.
The Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the National Assembly on April 10, 1973 and received the presidential assent on April 12, 1973. In 2015, the Senate of Pakistan, under the leadership of Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, had initiated the commemoration of ‘Constitution Day’ by highlighting the importance of the landmark date of April 10. Since 2015, the Upper House of Parliament continues its practice of celebrating ‘Constitution Day’ every year.
The Senate of Pakistan came into existence as a House of Parliament, giving equal representation to the federating units. A walk through the historical debates held in the Constitution-making National Assembly shows that the legislators had wanted coequal Houses for protection of rights and interests of the provinces and other federating units. Over a period of time, the Senate of Pakistan emerged as a defender of the rights of the federating units and jealously guarded encroachments on the devolution of power to the provinces.
This continuous struggle triggered the evolution of Senate as a coequal House. After the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment, the Senate of Pakistan has an effective role and voice not only on the issues of provinces, but also in the effective oversight of the executive. Pursuant to the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment and in the wake of the scheme of devolution, the provinces, members and other stakeholders had been demanding a review of the Constitutional scheme vis-à-vis the powers of the Upper House of Parliament.
Bringing Senate at a par with the National Assembly would give a sense of protection to the federating units especially the smaller ones. Enhancement of the constitutional role of Senate of Pakistan does not mean impinging upon the provincial autonomy, nor is it intended to curtail the powers of National Assembly. Rather it is an attempt to give due representation to the federating units and the territories in the federal structure and safeguard their interests.
