Islamabad - Expressing displeasure for not providing reply to a call attention notice on crash of a PIA ATR plane, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Friday directed to issue contempt of parliament notice to aviation division secretary and relevant PIA director.
The chairman said neither there was any minister to respond to the house notice nor the aviation division sent its reply.
Earlier, Senator Samina Abid raised the call attention notice about the crash of PIA plane that crashed while coming from Chitral to Islamabad on December 7.
The Senate chairman observed that mere resignation of the PIA chairman was not enough and criticised the airline for not responding to the questions put forward by the Upper House of the Parliament.
He said the PIA has made it a routine not to respond to the queries of the legislators.
Earlier, Minister for Law Zahid Hamid went to the Secretary of the Senate asking him to defer the calling attention notice as the concerned minister was not present.
The chairman took notice of it and observed that despite a huge cabinet, there was no minister in the House to respond to the calling attention notice.
Rabbani while drawing the attention of the Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said that the PIA has made it a habit and had grounded its ATR fleet but neither the minister in charge of the aviation division nor aviation division secretary has been forthcoming to share essential information with the house.
Raja Zafarul Haq said he had been trying since morning to contact Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab but could not do so. He said that after the ATR aircraft accident, all the ATRs of PIA have been grounded while the people were sacrificing goats before travelling on the national airliner.
He regretted that the House was not taken into confidence about the tragedy.
Opposition members in Senate staged a walkout against the government’s apathy to inform the upper house about the latest development relating to an investigation into the crash in Havelian.
Meanwhile, the Senate chairman in his ruling said that the secretary aviation division and a director of the PIA have breached the privilege of the entire house and referred the issue to the privilege committee.
He also referred the issue of transfer of five regulatory authorities to the respective line ministries to the House Devolution Committee after the minister for law and justice failed to satisfy the house about the issue.
Rabbani also reserved his ruling about the legal aspect of the memorandum issued about placing these regulatory bodies on December 19 and prorogued the house.
Earlier, the House also adopted amendments to the Senate rules. Raja Zafarul Haq moved the amendments under rule 278 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012.
Similarly, 2nd Interim report of the Special Committee on marginalised segments of the society was also laid before the House.