Senate Protest Over Withheld Vote Results on SBP Bill
In a heated Senate session, opposition members protested after the chair decided to withhold the vote count on the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, which had been presented for immediate consideration. The bill, introduced by PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz, aims to raise the minimum credit limit that banks must extend to the private sector in each province.
The bill faced opposition from Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik, who pointed out that Article 74 of the Constitution requires federal government consent for any bill amending the SBP Act. Malik questioned how the bill had reached the agenda without government approval. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar echoed this concern, while Senator Aziz clarified that the bill was not a money bill.
The purpose of the bill is to address the financial disparities faced by businesses in smaller provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which receive far less funding from private banks than Punjab. Aziz emphasized that the bill would not affect the federal exchequer and would not use any government funds.
At the request of the law minister, Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasar initially announced that the bill would be deferred. However, the opposition staged a strong protest, chanting slogans and tossing torn copies of the agenda, forcing Nasar to allow the vote. Unexpectedly, senators from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), JUI-F, ANP, and even some from the PPP and PML-N voted in favor of the bill. This sparked surprise among government members, especially when PPP’s Sardar Umar Gorgaij and Nadeem Bhutto, as well as PML-N’s Dostan Domki, supported the motion.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reiterated that the issue was not provincial but constitutional, and suggested that the bill be deferred until government approval was obtained. Opposition Leader Syed Shibli Faraz disagreed, arguing that the bill did not contravene Article 74 and called for the declaration of the vote results.
PPP’s Shahadat Awan pointed to a procedural glitch regarding the introduction of private member bills under Article 74, urging the Senate Secretariat to assist in complying with the constitutional requirements before bringing such bills forward.
Despite the continued opposition protests, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the session, promising a reconvened meeting the following day.
Salaries and Allowances Bill Passed
Earlier in the session, the Senate also passed the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which will increase the monthly salary of senators to over Rs 500,000. The bill had already passed in the Senate but had been amended in the National Assembly. The amendment empowers the finance committees of both houses to determine the salaries of parliamentarians. The National Assembly had raised the salary of MNAs to Rs 519,000, and senators are expected to receive the same increase soon.
