The First Senate of Pakistan (1973-77): An Assessment of Performance

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the Legislation of the senate Pakistan during 1973-77 through the approach of the case study. The Senate with some variations performs the functions of making laws, raising and spending money, representing the federating units, overseeing the administration and providing advice and consent. These are five major functions but the Senate’s preeminent role is concerned with legislation. Senate performs all these functions through its well-developed procedures and the rules of business. This article attempts to have an analysis of the impact of the senate and the activities in the senate. The role of the senate was assessed in the assessment of bills, resolutions, ordinances, questions asked in the senate, privilege motions, adjournment motions, motions filed in the senate secretariat, and the role of the senate in the assessment of the bills of amendment in the Constitution. In addition, for a deep understanding of the role of the Senate, debates in the Senate on bills, resolutions, ordinances, questions asked in the senate, privilege motions, adjournment motions, motions filed in the senate secretariat, and the bills of amendment in the constitution were also included in this paper. Moreover, the impact of participation of the senators in the inter-parliamentary union, an association of secretaries-general of parliaments, and bilateral parliamentary goodwill exchange visits is also included in the chapter for the sake of understanding the overall impacts of the senate and senators in federal politics and legislation.