Opposition walkout over price hike disrupts Senate session.

ISLAMABAD -- The opposition on Monday disrupted the Senate proceedings by pointing out lack of quorum after staging a walkout in protest against the prevailing unprecedented price hike in the country, forcing Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to adjourn the sitting within minutes till Wednesday while deferring almost all agenda items on the private members' day.

However, before the abrupt adjournment, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution paying tribute to the late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, condemning 'suppressive acts of the Indian occupation forces in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and asking India to lift the inhumane military siege in IIOJK and reverse and revoke the illegal and unilateral steps of August 5, 2019'.

The resolution, submitted by Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, was read out by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He said the government wanted to support it to send a message of unity from the upper house of parliament.

Soon after the passage of the resolution, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Moula Bux Chandio sought the floor to speak on price hike. However, the Senate chairman refused to allow him to speak, saying he wanted to take up the private members' day agenda.

Sanjrani adjourns sitting within minutes due to lack of quorum; house passes resolution condemning India over Kashmir situation

At this, Mr Chandio said the opposition would not sit in the house and stage a walkout to register its protest over price hike and inflation in the country. All opposition members then left the house with Mr Chandio, leaving behind empty treasury benches.

In the absence of the opposition, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Mohsin Aziz introduced the National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill 2021. When the chairman was about to give the floor to another ruling party senator, Ali Zafar, to move his private member's bill, PPP's Behramand Tangi returned to the house and pointed out lack of quorum.

The chairman adjourned the sitting after a headcount announcing that the proceedings could not be run as only 19 members were present in the house.

For maintaining the quorum, the presence of 25 members, one-fourth of the 100-member Senate, is required.

At the outset, the house witnessed a verbal clash between PTI's Ejaz Chaudhry and PPP's...