- Zardari gives green signal to Raza Rabbani for Senate chairmanship while nominee for deputy chairman will be taken from one of the allied parties
- With Rehman Malik tasked to woo MQM to join govt, PPP co-chief invites party leaders for consultation
As the country’s political temperature continues to rise and major parties exhibit the best of their diplomatic skills to woo support for scoring Senate’s top slots, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Sunday gave a green signal to PPP leader Raza Rabbani for the election of Senate chairmanship while coalition parties will be formally requested for support in a meeting on Monday (today).
The former president has called PPP allies today for discussing the election. In the meeting scheduled to be held at Zardari House in Islamabad, delegations from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q), Pakistan Muslim League – Functional (PML-F) and members of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have been invited.
According to reports, PPP will only nominate its candidate for the chairmanship of the Senate while the nominee for deputy chairman will be taken from one of the allied parties. According to sources, the decision was made in a high-level party meeting.
PPP has also made a two member committee regarding Senate elections which includes Senator Raza Rabbani and Senator Dr Qayyum Soomro. The committee has already started working and will meet more political parties today.
PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the meeting is aimed at discussing prospects and strategy for fielding consensus candidates for the top offices.
Moreover, Senator Dr Qayyum Soomro denied the reports of bringing PPP leader Rubina Khalid on the position of deputy chairman and said that PPP will only contest for the post of Senate chairman.
Moreover, Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjil Inam Memon has said that the leadership of PPP has given a mandate to senator-elect Abdul Rehman Malik to hold dialogues with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for joining the provincial government.
After success of negotiations, it would be possible to say whether MQM will join the government or not, the minister said, while talking to media persons.
MQM FORMS COMMITTEE:
On the other hand, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has also approved of the names for the committee to hold talks with the other parties for Senate chairmanship. The committee includes Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Rauf Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri and Kunwar Naved Jamil.
Barrister Farogh Naseem has been especially included in the committee to advise the body on legal affairs.
UNITED THEY MAY WIN:
Political observers say that if all these parties attend the PPP meeting and agree on the candidates they are certain to win the elections of chairman and deputy chairman.
They point out that PPP has 27 senators, MQM 8, JUI-F 5,ANP 7, PML-Q 4 and BNP (Awami) 2. However, the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman would think twice before siding with the PPP as his party is in coalition with the PML-N at the Centre and has two ministers in the government.
In this context, Fazlur Rehman chaired a meeting of his party leaders and discussed the Senate elections. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister Akram Durrani and Minister of State and Secretary General Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.
Similarly the participation of the senators from FATA is in doubt because those elected from the tribal areas normally side with the sitting government.
In the meanwhile, as he strategised for Senate top slots, Zardari has turned down the presidential ordinance on Senate elections in FATA, terming it an attack on democracy.
In his statement, the PPP co-chairman was of the view that it stands in contradiction with the Constitution to issue an order after the announcement of Senate schedule, adding, “It is tantamount to ‘tapping on the shoulder’ for the undemocratic elements.”
Moreover, Zardari held a telephonic discussion with Jamaat Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq and sought support for the Senate top slots.
According to a private TV channel report, Zardari called Haq and exchanged views over the ongoing political situation in the country. Both leaders have resolved to stay in contact.
Haq also talked to Maulana Samiul Haq and Khawaja Saad Rafique and exchanged views over the Senate elections situation.
GOVT GEARS UP EFFORTS TOO:
Election for the posts of chairman and deputy chairman of Senate are going to be held on March 12. While the PPP has called the meeting of its allies today, government coalition’s meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said that the government has all its options open. He said that the government wants to bring nominees on both the posts with broad consent and that the government was also in contact with the PPP.
