| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Majlis-E-Shoora / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name |
Senate |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
National Assembly
|
| APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE |
| Title |
Chairman of the Senate |
| Term |
- 3 years from the day on which he enters upon his office.
The Office of Chairman becomes vacant if:
- he resigns his office;
- he ceases to be a member of the Senate; or
- he is removed from office by a resolution of the Senate, of which not less than seven day's notice has been given and which is passed by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the Senate.
If the office of the Chairman becomes vacant the Senate elects another member as its Chairman. |
| Appointment |
The Chairman is elected by the Senate after members were sworn in.
(Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 1988) |
| Eligibility |
- Members of the Senate.
- Chairman only belongs to a Majority Party. |
| Voting system |
- Formal vote by secret ballot of members of the Senate.
- Chairman is elected by by simple majority.
- On the day of election, the Presiding Officer reads out to the Senate the names of the members who have been duly nominated and have not withdrawn their candidature, as also the names of their proposers, and, if there is only one such member, shall declare that member to have been elected.
- Where, after withdrawals, if any, there remain only two candidates for election, a ballot is held between them and the candidate who secures more votes than the other is declared to have been elected. If both the candidates secure an equal number of votes, a fresh ballot is be held between them until one of them secures more votes than the other, and the candidate securing more votes declared to have been elected.
- Where, after withdrawals, if any, there remain more than two candidates for election, the candidate securing more votes than the aggregate of votes secured by the other candidates is declared to have been elected. If no candidate secures more votes than the aggregate of votes secured by the other candidates, there is a fresh ballot at which the candidate who secured the lowest number of votes at the last ballot is excluded from the election, and the balloting in like manner proceed until one candidate secures more votes that the remaining candidate or, as the case may be, the remaining candidates in the aggregate, and such candidate is declared to have been elected.
- Where at any ballot any three or more candidates secure an equal number of votes and one of them has to be excluded from election, the question as to which one of such candidates is to be excluded is determined by drawing of lots.
- Single Round secret ballot. According to Rule 9 (8) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, where at any ballot any three or more candidates secure an equal number of votes and one of them has to be excluded from election under sub-rule (7), the question as to which one of such candidates is to be excluded shall be determined by drawing of lots. |
| Procedures / results |
- A person nominated by the President presides over the Assembly during the voting
- the Presiding Officer announces the results
- the voting is supervised by staff of the Senate Secretariat
- the results can be challenged |
| STATUS |
| Status |
- The Speaker of National Assembly comes after the Chairman Senate in order of precedence.
- The Chairman is also administrative Head of Secretariat.
- In the Chairman's absence, he/she replaced by the Deputy Chairman.
- If the office of Chairman becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation or removal of the President, the Chairman or, if he is unable to perform the functions of the office of President, the Speaker of the National Assembly acts as President until a President is elected.
- The Chairman of the National Assembly presides at every joint sitting. In the absence of the Speaker, the Chairman of the Senate presides at a joint sitting.
- The Speaker represents the Assembly in international bodies.
- The Speaker is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- The Speaker does not represent the Assembly with the public authorities.
|
| Board |
- Finance Committee assists the Chairman in regulating finances and expenditure.
- The expenditure of the Senate within authorized appropriations is controlled by Senate acting on the advice of its Finance Committee.
- The Finance Committee consists of the Chairman, the Minister of Finance and such other members as may be elected thereto by the Senate.
- The Committee meets whenever required by the Chairman. |
| Material facilities |
NA (no information received) |
| FUNCTIONS |
| Organization of parliamentary business |
- On a requisition signed by not less than one fourth if the total membership of the Senate, the Chairman can summon the Senate to meet, at such time as place as he therein fit, within fourteen days of the receipt of the requisition; and when the Chairman summons the Senate only he can prorogue it.
- The Chairman, after consultation with the Leader of the House or the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs or any other Minister so authorized and the Leader of the Opposition or a number authorized by him in this behalf, fixes the time and date for discussion of the Senate. |
| Chairing of public sittings |
- can open, adjourn and close sittings;
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders;
- makes announcements concerning the Assembly.
- holds authority to recognize list of Members who wish to speak and gives and withdraws permission to speak: In order to save time and repetition of arguments the Chairman has the power to select one of the several identical or substantially identical amendments to be proposed and also to hold a single discussion to cover a series of independents amendments. The Chairman determines the place at which an amendment is to be moved. He may refuse to propose an amendment which, in his opinion, is frivolous or meaningless.
- can call for a vote, decide how it is to be carried out, verify the voting procedure and cancel a vote in the event of irregularities.
- can check the quorum: according to Rule 5 (2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, if, at any time during the continuance of a sitting, attention of the Chairman is drawn to the fact that less than one-fourth of the total membership of the Senate is present, he shall suspend the business of the Senate and cause the bells to be rung for five minutes, but if no quorum is available even when the bells stop ringing, he shall adjourn the sitting.
- can authenticate the adopted texts and the records of debates: according to Rule 232 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, if the Chairman is of opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary or undignified, he may, in his discretion, either during the debate or subsequently, order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the Senate.
According to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate:
- the Senate shall sit on such days as the Chairman, having regard to the state of business of the Senate, may, from time to time, direct (Rule 19).
- every sitting shall commence with recitation from the Holy Quran followed by its Urdu translation (Rule 19).
- every sitting of the Senate shall commence at such hour as the Chairman may direct (Rule 20).
Subject to the other provisions of these rules, the Chairman may:
- adjourn a sitting of the Senate sine die or to a particular day or to some other time on the same day; and
- if he thinks fit, call sitting of the Senate at a time or date different from that to which it was earlier adjourned. |
| Special powers |
- The Chairman shall preserve order and shall have all powers necessary for the purpose of enforcing his decisions (Rule 217 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate).
- For the purpose of enforcing the orders of the Chairman, there shall be a Sergeant-at-Arms to be assisted by such Staff or officials subordinate to him as may be necessary.
- The expenditure of the Senate within authorized appropriations is controlled by the Senate acting on the advice of its Finance Committee. The Committees consists of the Chairman, the Minister for Finance and such other members as may be elected by the Senate.
The Chairman has power in:
- recruiting, assigning and promoting Secretariat staff, including the Clerk.
- organizing the services of Parliament.
- The Chairman has no role in the promulgation of laws nor in ensuring the constitutionality of laws.
- The Chairman is not entitled to appoint committees and/or their presiding officers.
|
| Speaking and voting rights, other functions |
Speaker can:
- take the floor in legislative debate
- give directives for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion.
- intervene in the parliamentary oversight procedures (censure, interpellation, oral or written questions, petitions)
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments.
Speaker shall not:
- vote except in the event of an equality of votes (Rule 214 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate)
- propose bills or amendments
- play a specific role in the conduct of foreign affairs or defense matters
- "Interpret" the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly: according to Rule 237 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, all matters not specifically provided for in these rules and all questions relating to the detailed working of these rules shall be regulated in such manner as the Chairman may, from time to time, direct.
- Discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda / organize impromptu debates: according to Rule 236 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, whenever any inconsistency or difficulty arises in the application of these rules, or is otherwise considered necessary, any member may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a particular motion before the Senate, and if the motion is carried the rule in question shall stand so suspended.
- The Chairman is responsible to preserve order and decorum, and in the case of disturbance or disorder in the galleries, may cause them to be cleared. The Chairman preserves order and have all powers necessary for the purpose of enforcing his decisions.
- For the purpose of enforcing the orders of the Chairman, there is a Sergeant-at-Arms to be assisted by such Staff or officials subordinate to him as may be necessary. |
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