The joint opposition is mulling over the names of PML-N senators Raja Zafarul Haq, Pervez Rashid, Musadiq Malik and National Party’s Hasil Bizenjo for the new Senate chairman as Rehbar Committee meets on Thursday (today) to finalise candidate for the Upper House top slot.
Sources familiar with the matter Wednesday said the name of the final candidate will be announced after the meeting of the committee on Thursday. The meeting is also anticipated to formulate the next course of action against Sanjrani in the Upper House. The meeting is also likely to devise a joint strategy for launching a protest campaign against the government on July 25 – the day the opposition has termed as the ‘black day’. Furthermore, the next political role of the Rehbar Committee will also be analysed.
The opposition parties in the Senate have already submitted a resolution for de-seating the chairman by bringing a no-confidence motion against him. The resolution signed by 38 senators was submitted to the secretary of the Senate. The opposition members have also submitted a requisition for convening a session of the Senate.
On Wednesday, Leader of the House in the Senate Shibli Faraz said there might be surprise waiting for the opposition. “We are working on a strategy to ensure that the motion of no-confidence fails,” he said. “We are in contact with quite a few of the opposition senators,” he claimed. “The opposition hasn’t even finalised its candidate yet – and they’re going to have quite a bit of difficulty in doing so,” he added.
Faraz noted that the opposition needs 53 votes to oust Sanjrani, “which I feel is very improbable.” “It’s their job to get the numbers, but the opposition seems split. [That’s why] the result of a vote of no-confidence can be a surprise,” he said. “A majority of the opposition senators are unhappy with the motion. They think it’s only a tactic to put pressure on the government,” he added.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed claimed that government is in contact with the opposition Senators and 12 to 13 PML-N senators would not vote for the opposition’s nominee.
Addressing a presser in the federal capital, the PTI leader said the opposition should take back no-confidence move against Sanjrani. He said some PML-N members are technically independent and they can vote for anyone of their choice.
He said Bilawal Bhutto had called Sanjrani’s win a win of Balochistan and the federation. He reminded that Bilawal in his tweet had termed it a defeat of Ziaul Haq’s ‘opening batsman’, adding that he must retweet it now.
