ISLAMABAD: Joint opposition and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allied parties in the Senate Tuesday had separate meetings here at the Parliament House to discuss their respective line of action with regards to the upcoming Senate session, which will deal with No-trust motions against Senate chairman and deputy chairman.President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned the Senate to meet for the 'extraordinary' session on August 01 and has appointed MQM-Pakistan Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif to preside over the keenly-awaited session. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials have extended help to the Senate Secretariat in preparations for voting regarding the No-trust motions against Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Salim Mandviwalla. It was learnt that the ECP shared its expertise in preparation of ballot boxes and polling booths.Sources said that the Federal Cabinet, in its meeting, later on in the day, also held deliberations on the upcoming Senate session. Joint opposition and the PTI and its partners in the Upper House of the Parliament will have meetings again today (Wednesday) on the eve of the Senate session to finalise their respective strategies about the No-trust motions.After the opposition parties meeting, Leader of Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, senators Sherry Rehman and Maula Bux Chandio briefly talked to media and claimed to easily vote out Sanjrani, as they had the numerical strength to do so. The opposition senators were to hold further deliberations during dinner being hosted by PPP, where Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be the chief guest. Opposition leaders said that in their meeting, at least 53 senators were in attendance, as some were still abroad, but would be back well on time. They emphasised that all the opposition senators would vote for their candidate for the slot of Senate chairman Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo. They decried the Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz’ claim that some opposition senators would support the incumbent chairman in accordance with their conscience and asserted that whosoever would support the government, would only act as per his conscience and the rest not.PTI and its allied parties meeting was attended by at least 18 senators. After the meeting, Shibli appeared confident, who claimed that they were quite confident and hopeful of victory during the No-trust motion against Sanjrani.Referring to the joint opposition’s meeting at the Parliament House and then dinner, he said two meetings in a day were beyond his comprehension.He reiterated that certain opposition senators would support the treasury side during voting. He again defended meetings with opposition leaders, saying they just wanted to remind them of the fact that No-trust motion against Senate chairman would not set a good precedent and future, such situation could arise frequently.Opposition leaders have disputed Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Swati’s indirect contention that there would be no voting on the first day of the session.Our correspondent adds from Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has announced that the JI would not be a party to the election of the Senate chairman and would abstain.The government and the opposition were engaged in a political wrangling in the Senate while two Sharifs were pitting the Balochs against one another making them escape goat, but the common man’s problems like price hike and unemployment were being ignored, he said while talking to the media after addressing the Shoora of JI Lahore on Tuesday. He said mega cities of the country like Lahore and Karachi had been submerged due to a few hours rain and rulers had no mechanism to protect their people.He said if the government could not protect these mega cities, how could it protect the general public. He said the government did not have a solution to people’s problems and was simply whiling away time by statements. He said the media was being pressurized not to highlight the government’s failures. However, he said, when the downfall of a government was near, it would impose restrictions on the media.Earlier, addressing the Lahore Shoora meeting, Sirajul Haq said the rulers were still under the charm of Trump’s handshake and the government was praising the US day and night, but the nation wanted to know what Trump had so far done with regard to mediation on Kashmir.
07-31-2019, 03:55 PM
No-trust motion against Senate chairman, deputy: Govt, Opp chalk out their strategies
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