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Draw of lots for Pakistan Senate

B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD: A draw of lots in the Senate (equivalent of the Rajya Sabha) of Pakistan on Monday proved lucky for 50 members and otherwise for 50 others. The draw was held to decide who would have a six-year term and who would retire at the end of their three year tenure.

The Election Commission had to resort to the peculiar method as President Pervez Musharraf had dissolved the previous Senate after keeping it in prolonged suspended animation in the aftermath of the October 1999 bloodless military coup.

Under the 1973 Constitution, the Upper House is a permanent house. But since several provisions of the Constitution were suspended after the military rule, Gen. Musharraf could do whatever he wished under the powers granted to him by the Supreme Court.

The 1970 Assembly framed the 1973 Constitution which was passed on April 12 and promulgated on August 14, 1973. The Constitution provides a parliamentary form of Government with a bicameral legislature, comprising the National Assembly and the Senate.

The membership, which was originally 45, was raised to 63 in 1977 and to 87 in 1985 and the last draw was held in 1988.

Gen. Musharraf raised the membership to 100 through the Legal Framework Order (LFO) 2002, enforced on August 21, 2002.

The four provinces have equal representation in the Senate. When the Senate was revived after the October 2002 general election, the provincial assemblies had to elect the members afresh on the understanding that 50 per cent of them would retire at the end of three years.

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