- PM Sharif endorses opposition’s consensus candidate Raza Rabbani for Senate chairmanship in ‘national interest’, stresses consensus on all national issues
Blurring the lines between diplomacy and duplicity, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday embraced the obvious by shoring up the opposition’s decision to seat Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani at the helm of affairs in the Upper House.
The stage, thus, is now set for unopposed elections of the Senate chairman and deputy chairperson.
The country’s premier visited former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at the latter’s residence in Islamabad on Tuesday and took him into confidence over the ruling party’s decision to support Rabbani as a consensus candidate for the Senate chairman’s position.
During the meeting attended by senior aides from both the sides, Zardari thanked Sharif for his support. PPP’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that Zardari also thanked all opposition political leaders including Awami National Party (ANP)’s Asfandyar Wali, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s Altaf Hussain, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)’s Chaudhry Shujaat, Balochistan National Party (BNP-A)’s Israrullah Zehri, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)’s Fazlur Rehman and FATA senators for nominating Rabbani for the office.
During the lavish dinner hosted by Zardari, both sides also came up with a formula to decide a consensus candidate for Senate’s deputy chairperson’s post, which according to PPP senior leader Rehman Malik will be chosen by the Balochistan leadership.
“Any candidate they field will be acceptable to us,” Malik said while talking to reporters after the meeting.
Earlier in the day, while addressing the leaders of PPP, ANP, MQM, JUI, Pakistan National Party (PNP) and Pashtunkhwai Milli Awami Party (PKMP) during a luncheon hosted at the Prime Minister’s House, PM Sharif announced the government’s support for PPP’s candidate, saying that the appointment of Senate chairman should be decided after consultations with all parties.
In order to “further promote the culture of mutual consensus between political parties”, his party has supported Rabbani for the top chair of the Upper House, the premier said, adding that they had been holding consultations with all political leaders and the process has yielded positive results.
Establishing that the support for the opposition has been rendered in “national interest”, Sharif also made it clear that PML-N will not nominate its own candidate for the top slots.
However, Sharif regretted not getting an invitation for the consultative meeting Zardari held on Monday night. He said he had also sent a message to Zaradri to move forward the process of mutual consultation but did not receive any feedback.
Stressing the need for consensus on all political issues, Sharif said new democratic traditions have been set by the government and this process will continue to move the democratic process forward.
“The country cannot afford more confrontations. The positive change that is about to come should be long-lasting. Stakeholders should sit together and discuss matters which are important for the progress of the country. The government also wants to put an end to politics of money in the Senate elections. Also, there should be no reservation over live broadcasting of Senate election. The national policy must not be changed with respect to the change in governments,” he said.
During the dinner at Zardari’s, Sharif met all participants individually and also shook hands with rival PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Earlier on Tuesday, ANP chief Asfand Yar Wali and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman also separately met Sharif and discussed the political situation.