Rehman seeks minister’s apology after Senate panel clash

Pakistan Peoples 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 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 “normalized 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 the issue of government was Senator Palwasha’s constitutional right and responsibility. “He must apologise. I am not even saying this because she is a woman, she owes basic respect as an honorable member of parliament to a federal minister,” Rehman said.

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

In a statement, the council said such behavior towards an elected female senator was against democratic values, women’s dignity and basic human rights. It said that in a parliamentary system it was the responsibility of each minister to answer questions from public representatives in a respectful and dignified manner, particularly a committee chairman.

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

The HRCP demanded that the matter be addressed immediately and transparently, that an explanation and an official apology be sought from the federal minister, and that the parliamentary code of conduct be strictly enforced to protect the dignity of women legislators. 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 took place 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 accusations offensive and warning that “personal attacks” would be answered 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 that she had merely sought clarification and had not made 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 tried to restore order. After her intervention, the minister offered an apology, which Senator Palwasha rejected, saying she had been humiliated and would raise the matter with her party’s senior leadership.

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

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House, Senator Palwasha said if a road was built with public funds, lawmakers had every right to question whether it was meant to benefit a private company. She also expressed disappointment over what she described as the “collective behaviour” 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 taken place.