The Chairman of the Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is currently in the United Kingdom on an official visit at the invitation of the President of the House of Lords; however, his tour was marred by the manifestation of nepotism and dynastic politics that have already, to a great extent, ruined the very spirit of democracy in the Country.
During his visit, Yousuf Raza Gilani is accompanied by a five-member parliamentary delegation which includes three Senators, namely Agha Shahzeb Durrani, Faisal Salim Rehman, & Ashraf Ali Jatoi, and two Members of the National Assembly.
Ironically two MNAs – whom Gilani has taken with him to London as part of the delegation – are his own sons Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani and Syed Qasim Ali Gilani.
The delegation of the Senate of Pakistan during the call on by Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on the Speaker of House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle at Speaker House, London. @HouseofCommons @CommonsSpeaker @PakistaninUK @ukinpakistan pic.twitter.com/OxL4Mlo0Db
— ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɪʀᴍᴀɴ ꜱᴇɴᴀᴛᴇ, ᴘᴀᴋɪꜱᴛᴀɴ (@OfficeSenate) July 30, 2024
The inclusion of his own sons by the Chairman Senate to his visit – which carries high significance, as it aims to explore opportunities for further strengthening bilateral, multilateral and institutional cooperation in diverse sectors – sparked criticism from democratic voices.
They are of the view that since pure democratic values couldn’t flourish yet in the Country despite forming a unanimous democratic Constitution 51 years ago or rather in fact real democracy hasn’t as yet existed, such unwarranted actions on the part of the Chairman Senate won’t leave good optics for struggling democracy in the Country.
They said that the pro-democratic forces have already received a huge bulk of criticism for consistently advocating and striving to see Pakistan a democratic and parliamentary Country but it hasn’t even yet guaranteed its people the basic rights. Now if the parliamentarians themselves would resort to such malpractices, whom the people would look to as their saviour?, they questioned.
Chairman Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani met with Speaker of the House of Commons H. E. Lindsay Hoyle during his visit to the UK
Chairman Senate was accompanied by Senators Agha Shahzeb Durrani, Faisal Rehman, Ashraf Jatoi & MNA’s Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani and @KasimGillani pic.twitter.com/xKnDalneqF— GilaniHouseMediaCell (@gillanihouse_MC) July 29, 2024
It’s worth noting that the family of Yousuf Raza Gilani – who also held the Office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan from March 2008 to June 2012 – has created a unique political and parliamentary record as all male members of them are at present in the National Assembly, Punjab, and the Senate.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is himself the Chairman of the Senate while his two sons Syed Ali Moosa Gilani and Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani are MNAs from NA-151 Multan-IV and NA-152 Multan-V respectively. His third son Syed Ali Haider Gilani is a Member of Punjab Assembly from PP-213 Multan-I.
