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NP chief says PPP-led alliance’s victory proved some forces ‘more supreme’ than parliament
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Bilawal says ‘Zia’s opening batsman defeated’
ISLAMABAD: Startled by its failure to clinch the top slots, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led alliance of indulging in horse-trading, with Maryam Nawaz, the former first daughter, termed the opposition senators ‘pawn in the chess game’.
However basking in the glory of their victory, opposition leaders, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, congratulated those elected for the Senate’s top slots.
‘SOME FORCES SUPREME THAN PARLIAMENT’
Soon after the result, Maryam Nawaz in a tweet called her opponents ‘pawns’. Not deterred by the defeat, she called the supporters of the PPP-led alliance pawns of a chess game and added that they have been defeated in the eyes of the public.
Reacting to the results of the polls for the Senate chairman, NP Chairman Mir Hasil Bizenjo said the PPP-led alliance’s victory proved that some forces were “more supreme” than parliament.
Despite having a majority in the upper house, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to secure either of the top slots due to alleged political engineering by the PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari.
“The parliament has been completely defeated. Those supreme forces have won and have shown that they can make the Parliament a market,” he said while addressing the house adding: “Today I am ashamed to sit here, for it is not the party of Benazir Bhutto or Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that won today”
“Today was the day when parliament’s face was blackened,” and added that he needed to make a speech today, else he wouldn’t be able to do it for the rest of his life. The NP chief also criticised the opposition for terming this a victory of Balochistan. He said that the political parties had turned Balochistan into a “market”.
“After the building has been collapsed, it is being said we have done it for Balochistan. Is this what you’ve done for Balochistan? You did the same with the KP,” he added.
Talking to reporters, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that the ‘two cousins’ PTI chief Imran Khan and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari shook hands for Senate polls. She further said that the PML-N is the only party which always opposed horse-trading in politics.
She also said that the “ugly face of those was exposed today who chanted slogans for change”, adding that former premier Nawaz was never involved in the process of buying.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that “despite all the tactics, the timely held Senate polls were a good omen for democracy”. He said those who were raising so-called slogans were exposed before the public, and those who had been abusing Zardari in the past were now supporting him.
“Both Imran Khan and Zardari have incurred huge losses to the democracy in a bid to show their animosity against Nawaz,” he said and added that Nawaz was the “champion of democracy”.
‘ZIA’s OPENING BATSMAN DEFEATED’:
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took to Twitter to congratulate the new Senate’s chairman. “Zia’s opening batsman defeated. Balochistan wins. Federalism wins. Congratulations Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani,” Bilawal tweeted.
In a separate Twitter statement, PTI chief Imran Khan congratulated Sanjrani and the people of Balochistan, saying that his victory would strengthen the federation.
“Congratulations to Baloch Senator Sadiq Sanjirani for becoming Chairman Senate. This will strengthen the federation. We are happy for the people of Balochistan and for the Federation of Pakistan,” Khan tweeted.
Similarly, PPP President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Sanjrani and Mandviwala for being elected as the Senate chairman and deputy chairman, respectively.
The former president said that the elections for the Senate chairman from Balochistan were a “continuation of Aghaz-e-Huqooq Balochistan”. He also congratulated the senators who voted for opposition candidates. “The PPP believes in democracy and democratic process,” said Zardari in a statement.
PPP Secretary General (SG) Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ministers showed that the PML-N was a “bad loser”. Congratulating the newly-elected Senate chairman and deputy chairman, he said that Zardari had strengthened federation by getting elected the Senate chairman from Balochistan, while on the other hand, he said, Nawaz Sharif had always “conspired against democracy”. “Nawaz will always be a byproduct of dictator Ziaul Haq,” he stated.
Congratulating Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandiwalla and Sanjrani on their election, Jamaat-e-Islam (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said the Senate polls were a step towards promoting democracy because people feared the election would not take place at all.
Senators, including Senate chairmanship candidate Raja Zafarul Haq, Mian Raza Rabbani, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar and others also congratulated the new chairman and urged all political parties to work jointly for the supremacy of the parliament.