Rehman seeks minister’s apology after Senate panel clash

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Sherry Rehman condemned Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and asked him to apologize following a heated exchange with Senator Palwasha Khan during a Senate Standing Committee on Communications meeting on Friday.

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He said questioning the government was Senator Palwasha’s constitutional right and responsibility. “You must apologize. I am not even saying this because you are a woman, a federal minister owes you basic respect as an honorable member of Parliament,” Rehman said.

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

In a statement, the council said such behavior towards an elected senator was against democratic values, the dignity of women and fundamental human rights. He said that in a parliamentary system, answering questions from public representatives in a respectful and dignified manner was the responsibility of each minister, particularly the chair of a committee.

The council said Senator Palwasha Khan had a constitutional right to ask questions and that using insulting or discourteous language in response was unacceptable. He described the conduct as “verbal abuse, mistreatment of a woman and gender discrimination,” for which there was no moral or legal justification.

The HRCP demanded that the matter be addressed immediately and transparently, that an explanation and official apology be sought from the federal minister and that the parliamentary code of conduct be strictly enforced to protect the dignity of female legislators. He said the humiliation of women was intolerable in any forum and vowed to continue advocating for women’s dignity, equality and human rights.

Verbal dispute

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

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

Senator Palwasha maintained that she had simply sought clarification and had not made any accusation. She said that as an MP she had the right 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. After his intervention, the minister offered an apology, which Senator Palwasha rejected, saying that she had been humiliated and that she would raise the matter with her party’s senior leaders.

The incident also sparked reactions on social media. Journalist Hamza Azhar Salam, founder and editor of ElPakDailyshared a video of the exchange on X, describing the minister’s behavior as “extremely inappropriate.”

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Senator Palwasha said that if a road was being built with public funds, lawmakers had every right to question whether it was intended to benefit a private company. He also expressed disappointment over what he described as the “collective behaviour” of the Shehbaz Sharif-led cabinet.

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