Votes stolen from opposition’s own house: Muzaffar

ISLAMABAD: The senator who served as presiding officer for Friday's election for Senate chairman, Muzaffar Hussain Shah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, has dismissed the opposition's criticism over 7 votes that he rejected.

Shah had rejected 7 votes cast in the election for the Senate chairman's position as he maintained that they were marked incorrectly — with the stamp placed directly on Yusuf Raza Gilani's name rather than in the empty space next to it.

Shah's decision had caused a furor on the opposition benches, as the government candidate, Sadiq Sanjrani, received 48 votes against Gilani's 42 in the final count. The 7 contested votes, if allotted according to the opposition's wishes, would have put Gilani over the finishing line and given the opposition the chairman's seat.

"Seven people from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) deliberately wasted their votes," Shah said on Saturday, after the opposition repeatedly attacked him in their press conferences and questioned his impartiality.

"The stamp was placed on all seven ballot papers in exactly the same way," Shah said. "Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Sadruddin Shah Rashidi's votes in Sindh had previously been rejected on the same grounds."

"These seven votes have been stolen from the opposition's own house," Shah insisted. "The opposition should investigate and find out which of its members are responsible for the theft."

"It is pointless blaming me," Shah said. "I took my decision after listening to the opposition in detail.

Shah also suggested that the opposition would have no luck approaching the courts with their grievances.

"Parliamentary proceedings cannot be challenged in courts," Shah said, referring to laws that protect the business of the two houses of Parliament.