Mandviwalla says made chief whip without his consent

ISLAMABAD: Former PPP federal minister Senator Saleem H. Mandviwalla has disputed his nomination as the chief whip in Senate after an announcement in this regard by the caretaker Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs a week ago at the floor of the House.

He claims that he was appointed without getting his consent.

It could generate a new controversy in the lone surviving house of parliament in the country since the appointment and status, both are contravened and against the norms and protocol.

“I have come to know about the appointment through TV news bulletin and had no prior knowledge about it,” Mandviwalla responded to a query by The News Sunday evening. He said that he would consult the party leaders -- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari -- after their return from abroad tomorrow or the day after before taking any action in this regard.

Mandviwalla is also Chairman Standing Committee on Finance in Senate. The caretaker prime minister has nominated PMLN’s Senator Ishaq Dar as the Leader of the House in Senate. The Leader of House is entitled to perks and privileges of a federal minister. Senator Ishaq Dar is a senior PMLN leader, and he also served as the Leader of the House in the outgoing coalition government. He took oath as a senator in September 2022 after returning from exile and he was appointed as the federal finance minister and the Leader of House in Senate, simultaneously.

His appointment by the caretaker PM to the same slot became a source of disquiet for the PPP which was unhappy with the decision and had already raised objections to his nomination. On Monday last, Caretaker Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi had informed the Senate that the caretaker PM had endorsed Senator Ishaq Dar as the Leader of the House and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla as chief whip with the status of a minister of state.

Responding to a point raised by Senator Shahadat Awan of the PPP, during the session on October 30 regarding the status of leaders of the House and Opposition and the chief whip after completion of constitutional tenure of the last government, the minister clarified that as per parliamentary traditions, they would continue to perform their responsibilities. A notification regarding the appointment of Saleem Mandviwalla as the chief whip had also been reissued, he added.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said on October 31 that he had received consent from the caretaker PM to “retain PMLN Senator Ishaq Dar as the Leader of the House”. During a special session of Upper House of Parliament, an objection was raised against the use of the title of Leader of the House by Ishaq Dar. The PPP leader Shahadat Awan, who served as state minister with Ishaq Dar, asked why the PMLN senator had been labelled as the Leader of the House on the agenda even though the elected government did not exist. Responding to the query, the chairman said that he had received consent from caretaker PM that Ishaq Dar would continue as the Leader of the House. On September 30, 2022 outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif had appointed finance minister Ishaq Dar as Leader of the House in the Senate. His appointment was approved by the PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif after which the then PM Shehbaz had sent the summary to the Senate Secretariat and it issued the notification of Dar.

Senator Ishaq Dar replaced Senator Azam Tarar, who continued as Group Parliamentary Leader of the PMLN in Senate. Dar had served as the Leader of Opposition in Senate back in 2012.