The opposition’s anti-government ‘Rehbar Committee’ met on Friday to decide a future course of action, with the main item on the agenda being the removal of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Representatives from nine parties attended Friday’s moot and chose Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)’s Akram Khan Durrani as the Rahbar Committee convener.
“We all have agreed that the Senate chairman should be removed and motion against him will be submitted on July 9. The opposition will come up with a new name for the post on July 11,” said Durrani while speaking to the media after the meeting.
“We condemn the way democratic people in this country are being distanced from politics and to record its protest, the Rahbar Committee has decided to stage province-wide gatherings from July 25.”
“Pakistan should be run only through a parliamentary system. We reject any talk of presidential system or any other system,” said senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
“Production orders for members of the Parliament should be issued as it is their right to vote for the chairman. It is easy for the government to arrest members, but it denies them their right to vote.”
Sources said that PPP will propose former prime minister Gillani’s name upfront for Rehbar Committee’s convener ship whereas PML-N will propose Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s name.
The meeting was attended by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal of the PML-N, Usman Kakar of PkMAP, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Farhatullah Babar of the PPP, Akram Khan Durrani of the JUI-F, Tahir Bizenjo of the NP, Owais Noorani of the JUP, Hashim Babar of the ANP and Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the QWP.