Rehman seeks minister’s apology after Senate panel clash

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Senator Sherry Rehman condemned Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and asked him to apologise following a heated exchange with Senator Palwasha Khan during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Friday.

In a post on X late Friday night, Rehman said the incident could neither be “normalised nor considered acceptable”, adding that no federal minister should speak to an elected senator in such a manner during a parliamentary committee meeting.

She said questioning the government was Senator Palwasha’s constitutional right and responsibility. “He must apologise. I am not even saying this because she is a woman, she is owed basic respect as an honourable member of Parliament by a federal minister,” Rehman said.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4285917648352809

The incident also drew condemnation from the Human Rights Council of Pakistan, which described the minister’s alleged conduct as harsh and inappropriate.

In a statement, the council said such behaviour towards an elected female senator was against democratic values, women’s dignity and fundamental human rights. It said that in a parliamentary system, responding to questions from public representatives in a respectful and dignified manner was the responsibility of every minister, particularly a committee chair.

The council said Senator Palwasha Khan had a constitutional right to ask questions and that the use of insulting or discourteous language in response was unacceptable. It termed the conduct “verbal abuse, mistreatment of a woman and gender discrimination”, for which there was neither moral nor legal justification.

The HRCP demanded that the matter be taken up immediately and transparently, that an explanation and an official apology be sought from the federal minister, and that strict enforcement of the parliamentary code of conduct be ensured to protect the dignity of women lawmakers. It said the humiliation of women was intolerable in any forum and vowed to continue advocating for women’s dignity, equality and human rights.

Verbal spat

The episode occurred during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications when Senator Palwasha questioned whether public funds had been used to construct a road in Lahore that primarily benefited a private housing society.

According to those present, the minister reacted angrily, saying he found the allegations offensive and warning that “personal attacks” would be responded to in kind. He said the government was willing to clarify its position but would not lower itself to what he described as a “lower level” of discourse.

Senator Palwasha maintained she had merely sought clarification and had not levelled any allegation. She said it was her right as a parliamentarian to question the use of taxpayers’ money. The exchange escalated when the minister accused committee members of being “blackmailers and dishonest”, prompting strong objections.

Committee chairman Senator Pervaiz Rashid repeatedly attempted to restore order. Following his intervention, the minister offered an apology, which Senator Palwasha declined, saying she had been humiliated and would raise the matter with her party’s senior leadership.

The incident also sparked reaction on social media. Journalist Hamza Azhar Salam, founder and editor of ThePakDaily, shared a video of the exchange on X, describing the minister’s behaviour as “extremely unbecoming”.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4285917648352809

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House, Senator Palwasha said that if a road was being built with public funds, legislators had every right to question whether it was intended to benefit a private business. She also expressed disappointment at what she described as the “collective demeanour” of the Shehbaz Sharif-led cabinet.

Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan Mandokhail, another committee member, later said that while ministers were routinely questioned in parliamentary committees, the exchange was inappropriate and should not have occurred.