Senate Poverty Row Over Women Detainees

The Senate poverty row flared on Friday as the upper house debated rising poverty, the health and detention of PTI women leaders, and an alleged rise in extrajudicial killings. The session turned heated at several points, with PTI senators protesting on the floor and the chair repeatedly calling for order.

PTI parliamentary leader Senator Ali Zafar opened the debate by citing a World Bank report. He said 48 per cent of people living below the poverty line in the region were in Pakistan. “According to the poverty index, those earning less than three dollars are below the poverty line,” he said. “This is a failure of our government. Inflation has increased and its impact is reaching the poor.”

Zafar said many areas lacked drinking water, while secondary schools were unavailable in several places. “Instead of focusing on these things, we are imposing governor’s rule and emergency,” he said, referring to the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His remarks linked the economic debate directly to the fight over the province, where governor’s rule remains in force.

Senate poverty row: the detention debate

PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz then raised the treatment of Noreen Niazi, a sister of PTI founder Imran Khan. “Why is so much cruelty being done to Noreen Niazi? She is a 70-year-old ailing woman. She should be given treatment and her family should be allowed to meet her,” he said.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry assured the house there would be no negligence over her health. “She was brought to hospital not on her wish but on doctors’ advice. Treatment is not done on wish, treatment is done on doctors’ advice. Doctors will decide where to take her,” he said. “As she is a woman, we are more sensitive in this regard. It is the responsibility of the government,” he added.

PTI Senator Azam Swati said he had spoken to Niazi’s husband, who told him her treatment was progressing well. “He thanked the government for allowing her to meet her elder daughter. This is a good step by the government,” Swati said. The minister’s remarks still drew protests and sloganeering from PTI members, and PPP Senator Shahadat Awan, who was presiding over the session, intervened. “Let the House run, it will not work like this,” he said.

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas welcomed the decision to let Niazi meet her daughter, but he criticised the detention of PTI women leaders and activists. He referred to Dr Yasmin Rashid and Imran Khan’s sisters, and asked why elderly women were being detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). “Women must be respected, but here they have been put in jails. They can also be kept under house arrest,” he said. He warned that such treatment would damage the government’s reputation, and he demanded the release of women detainees.

Why the session matters beyond the chamber

Niazi’s case has reached the Senate before. She was moved to hospital from Kot Lakhpat jail after her health worsened in custody, the Lahore High Court has heard pleas over the sisters’ detention, and the government had earlier promised to look into family access. Friday’s exchange shows the issue is still unresolved.

Niazi has been detained since September 21 under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, along with Khan’s other sisters, and her detention was extended on October 7 for a second 30-day term running into late November. The PTI says she suffered a heart attack; the government says she was moved for high blood pressure and her tests were normal. No independent medical report has been published.

JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza warned that a rise in extrajudicial killings had now reached Islamabad. “Through extrajudicial killings, an example of lawlessness is being set. The series of extrajudicial killings may one day reach political workers,” he said.

The poverty claims carry a wider context: Pakistan’s poverty rate was measured at 28.9 per cent in a recent official release, and the Senate has separately called for coordinated action on population growth. The two sides did not agree on either point by the end of the session.

Frequently asked questions

What sparked the Senate poverty row?

PTI Senator Ali Zafar cited a World Bank report in the house, saying 48 per cent of the region’s people below the poverty line were in Pakistan.

Who is Noreen Niazi?

She is the 70-year-old sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, detained since September 21 under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

What did the government say about her health?

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said she was moved to hospital on doctors’ advice and that doctors, not her wishes, would decide her treatment.

What did the opposition demand?

Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas demanded the release of women detainees, saying they could be kept under house arrest instead of jail.

What warning did Kamran Murtaza give?

The JUI-F senator warned that a rise in extrajudicial killings had now reached Islamabad and could one day reach political workers.