Zardari, Imran unite for Senate chairman election

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan have entered an alliance for the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman as both have announced to vote for Sadiq Sanjrani for chairmanship and Saleem Mandviwala for deputy chairmanship.

“We have agreed on the name of Sadiq Sanjrani for the slot of chairman Senate and Saleem Mandviwala for the deputy chairman and have required number of votes to elect both of them,” said the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while talking to media persons here at Zardari House after a marathon meeting of the party on Sunday. Asif Ali Zardari co-chaired the meeting. Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Qudus Bizenjo was also present during the press talk of Bilawal. Prior of announcing the names of the candidates for the chairman and deputy chairman Senate, the PPP held a six-hour long meeting.

To a question about number of parties supporting the PPP, Bilawal did not divulge details, arguing that it would benefit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said the party has planned to give another important task to Mian Raza Rabbani in upcoming general elections.

Bilawal accused federal government of spending 90 percent of the country’s budget on uplift projects in Punjab. “It is time to give rights to smaller provinces for removal of sense of deprivation of smaller provinces,” he said.

Bilawal said the PPP always did the politics of federation and gave the sacrifices for all the provinces and now hoped that the issues of Balochistan will be resolved.

Abdul Qudus Bizenjo while speaking on the occasion praised Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto. “The PPP has created a history by giving sacrifice for Balochistan,” he said.

Earlier, Imran Khan had given Bizenjo the authority to bring forth a joint candidate for the slots with the help of newly-elected independent senators from Balochistan. The PTI had also thrown its weight behind Sadiq Sanjrani.

Sadiq Sanjrani is also said to have the support of independent senators elected from Balochistan and Fata.

Sadiq Sanjrani, who has never been to any legislature previously, is also believed to be enjoying support of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). During the previous PPP government, Sanjrani was assigned a post at the Prime Minister Secretariat. If elected, Sanjrani will enable the PPP to have its fourth nominated (or supported) chairman of the Senate consecutively. Already, the PPP’s Farooq H Naek, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari and Mian Raza Rabbani have served as the chairmen of the Upper House of Parliament.

Imran Khan’s party has been changing its position with regards to supporting candidates for the slots of chairman and deputy chairman. The PTI had early announced that it would neither vote for the PPP, nor the PML-N's nominees during the election for Senate chairman. However, just a day later, it announced that it would vote for the panel announced by the Balochistan chief minister.

The PTI showed its readiness to support a PPP candidate after a meeting between Bizenjo and Imran Khan at the latter's Banigala residence on Sunday. Bizenjo was accompanied by a delegation of independent senators-elect from Balochistan.

During the meeting, Imran announced his support for any candidate the PPP tosses up for the post of deputy chairman as per an agreement with Bizenjo, who had torpedoed the otherwise-well-laced chief minister of PML-N Sanaullah Khan Zehri a few months back to form his government with general elections, expected in late August or early September.

The Senate will meet today (Monday) and after recitation from the Holy Quran, the secretary Senate will make announcement regarding the nomination of presiding officer by the President of Pakistan in terms of sub-rule (2) of rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012.

It will be followed by oath by the members-elect under Article 65 of the Constitution and signing of the roll of members. Afterwards, announcement will be made on schedule for the election of chairman and deputy chairman Senate. Oath by the member(s)-elect, if any and this will be followed by election of the chairman Senate.

The chairman-elect will be administered oath, which will be followed by announcement of the name(s) of candidate(s) nominated for election as deputy chairman.

Meanwhile, the PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif will announce final candidate for the slot of the Senate chairman from among Mushahidullah Khan, Pervaiz Rashid and Mir Hasil Bizenjo today (Monday) before the election.

However, the PML-N sources said that Pervaiz Rashid has conveyed it to his party leadership that his name should not be considered for the seat of the Senate chairman.

A meeting of the PML-N and its allied parties including the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) reached consensus that the deputy chairman would be from allies and his name would be announced before the election.

The PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said during the meeting that the PML-N being the majority party should have the Senate chairman’s slot.

Meanwhile, the PML-N leadership sent a delegation to the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Senator Sirajul Haq to secure support of two senators. The move, however, met failure.

Federal Minister Mushahidullah Khan in an informal talk with media persons said they enjoy support of at least 54 senators. He said that besides its own 34 votes, the PML-N has support from 14 votes of the JUI-F, PkMAP, BNP, MQM and Functional League.