RULES OF PROCEDURE AND CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN THE SENATE, 1988

1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These rules may be called the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988.

(2) They shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions.- (1) In these rules, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context, —

"amendment" means a motion to amend an earlier motion before that earlier motion is put to the Senate for its decision;

"Assembly" means the National Assembly;

"Bill" means a motion for making a law;

"Chairman" means the Chairman of the Senate and includes the Deputy Chairman or in relation to a particular sitting, any other member when acting or performing the function of the Chairman;

"Chamber" means the place where the Senate meets to transact its business;

"Committee" means a committee constituted under these rules;

"Constitution" means the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;

"Gazette" means the Gazette of Pakistan;

"Government" means the Federal Government;

"Leader of the House" means the Prime Minister or a member appointed by him to represent Government and regulate Government business in the Senate when the Prime Minister is not sitting in the House;

"Lobby" means the rooms and covered corridors immediately adjoining the Chamber and designated as Division Lobbies;

"member" means a member of the Senate;

"member-in-charge" means, in the case of a Government Bill, a Minister and, in any other case, the member who has introduced the Bill or the member authorised by him in writing to assume charge of the Bill;

"Minister" means the Prime Minister, a Federal Minister or a Minister of State;

"motion" means a proposal made by a member including a Minister relating to any matter which may be discussed by the Senate and includes an amendment;

"Orders of the Day" means the list of business to be brought before the Senate on any day;

"presiding officer" means, in relation to a sitting, any person who is presiding over that sitting;

"private member" means a member other than a Minister;

"resolution" means a motion for the purpose of discussing and expressing an opinion on a matter of general public interest and includes a resolution specified in the Constitution;

"Schedule" means a schedule appended to these rules;

"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Senate and includes any person for the time being performing the duties of the Secretary;

"session" means the period commencing on the day of the first sitting of the Senate after having been summoned and ending on the day it is prorogued;

"sitting" means the meeting of the Senate or a Committee from the commencement of its business to the termination of the business for the day;

"Starred Question" means a question for an oral answer;

"Table" means the Table of the Senate and includes its Library; and

"Unstarred Question" means a question for a written answer.