ISLAMABAD – The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf finally sought the support from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman to save the chairmanship of Sadiq Sanjrani.
A delegation comprising members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its allies met Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad on Wednesday to convince the opposition, withdraw their no-confidence resolution against Senate chairman.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani and Leader of the House in the Senate Shibli Faraz were among the prominent members of the delegation.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Alyani said submitting a no-confidence resolution against Senate chairman is a democratic right of the opposition, however, added that there was no precedent of the practice.
He feared that the move may lead to a no-trust [resolution] being submitted every two to three months adding that Sanjrani had been running the House in a good manner.
He hoped that Rehman will play a positive role in restricting the opposition parties from going ahead with the move.
On the occasion, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz said they do not not want the dignity of the Senate to be compromised; he shared that the government would also contact other opposition parties “as a matter of principle”.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, however, did not make any commitment and asserted that the decision to submit a no-confidence resolution was made during a multi-party conference that was attended by members of opposition parties.
He told the newsmen that the opposition had come a long way, questioning how at this point, [the opposition] can fulfill the wishes of the government delegation and withdraw the no-confidence resolution.
The coalesced opposition had submitted a no-confidence resolution against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani earlier this month along with a requisition to summon a session to put the motion to vote.
In retaliation, government senators submitted a no-confidence resolution against Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla, who enjoys the support of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Sanjrani had convened a session on Tuesday in order to debate on the resolution, however, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq refused to discuss the resolution and instead said it was against the rules to discuss a no-confidence resolution in a requisitioned session. The session was then prorogued.
