Three JUI-F senators did not vote for PML-N candidates: report

–Deposed PM Nawaz Sharif says won’t be easy for certain elements to ‘manage’ upcoming general elections 

ISLAMABAD: At least three senators belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) did not vote for the candidates for Senate top slots announced by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), an inquiry into the defeat revealed on Wednesday.

According to media reports, JUI-F Senator from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Mirza Afridi didn’t vote for the PML-N’s candidates for Senate chairman and deputy chairman. Meanwhile, out of the seven votes that the PML-N coalition fell short of, two senators who didn’t vote for the candidates still remain unknown.

Reports further added that only Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri from the JUI-F voted for the ruling party candidates.

Former PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman met on Wednesday after the former’s appearance before the accountability court.

According to reports, the former prime minister conveyed his reservations over the Senate debacle to his longtime ally. Fazl assured Nawaz that he will hold an inquiry into the matter.

PML-N Senator Kulsoom Parveen, who hails from Balochistan, also admitted to voting for rival candidate Sadiq Sanjrani.

The ruling PML-N lost the race to appoint their favoured candidates to the top Senate slots as Sadiq Sanjrani, an opposition-backed candidate from Balochistan, was appointed Senate chairman on Monday.

Sanjrani secured 57 votes out of possible 103 votes and was administered the oath by presiding officer Sardar Yaqub Khan.

Sanjrani, an independent, had been backed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

According to reports, Sanjrani also had the support of independent senators elected from the FATA.

The PML-N candidate Raja Zafarul Haq, who was backed by the National Party (NP), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), PML-Functional and Awami National Party, received 46 votes.

‘GENERAL ELECTIONS CAN’T BE MANAGED’:

Earlier talking to media at accountability court, Nawaz Sharif rejected the notion of managing the next elections in 2018 likewise the Senate elections recently from some quarters, saying the world has progressed and now the situation was not the same as in the past.

To a query from a journalist regarding managing of elections through the interim government, Nawaz said that the interim government could not do anything which is above the law. He asked as to what was the reason that those from PPP, Bani Gala and Karachi all bowed down before Sanjrani of Balochistan.

“The masses should know what happened that the three of them reached at the same point like GPS,” he said.