— PTI delegation calls on Senate chairman, assures him of support
–Zardari wants Mandiwalla to be Senate chairman, while Shehbaz has proposed Zafarul Haq for top slot
–Opp in comfortable position to oust Sanjrani, with 61 senators in the House
ISLAMABAD: The opposition and treasury benches have sped up wheeling-and-dealing in the wake of a likely no-confidence move against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani being planned by the joint opposition.
According to sources privy to the development, a no-confidence move against Sanjrani would be tabled in the Senate soon amid efforts to build a consensus on who would be the future chairman of the Upper House.
As discussions get underway between two major parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to develop the consensus, both sides have yet to reach a joint nominee.
PPP President Asif Ali Zardari wants current Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla at the helm, whereas PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif wants Raja Zafarul Haq to become the chairman. However, some PPP lobbyists want former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani to supervise the House.
On the other hand, the coalition government has also woken up from its slumber over the issue, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen holding consultations with coalition partners.
Later, speaking to media on Friday, Jahangir Tareen said that the Senate chairman is not being removed and that he would complete his stipulated term.
Meanwhile, a delegation led Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Fehmida Mirza called on Sanjrani to express “solidarity and strengthen his hands”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting alongside Sanjrani, Mirza said according to the government and allied parties’ members the chairman managing the Senate in a “neutral and impartial manner”.
Speaking about the opposition’s criticism on Sanjrani, she said the government lawmakers had, in fact, reservations that Sanjrani was giving “excessive” to the members from the opposition benches.
She, however, said the allocation of time to the members is the chairman’s discretion. Sanjrani responded: “The chairman knows what the conditions are down on the floor,” adding that he had managed House [hitherto] in a completely “balanced manner”.
He refused to talk about the opposition’s move to oust him.
THE NUMBERS’ GAME
The joint opposition is in a comfortable numerical position to turn the tables on the ruling coalition if it goes ahead with its decision to vote out Sanjrani.
A primary condition will be that all the opposition votes are cast in the favour of its consensus nominee in the secret ballot.
As per the calculations, the opposition parties, in the 103-member House, enjoy the support of 61 senators while the governing alliance has the backing of 40 members.
The chairman can be removed by the majority of the total membership. Thus the support of at least 52 senators will be required to carry the no-confidence motion.
The opposition alliance comprises the PML-N with 29 senators, PPP with 20, National Party of Mir Hasil Bizenjo with five members, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) with four senators, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) of Mehmood Achakzai with two and Awami National Party (ANP) of Asfandyar Wali with one member in the Upper House. The decision to remove Sanjrani was taken at an APC hosted by JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman.
The government alliance is in a weaker position, with PTI’s 14 senators. Its ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has five, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has two, and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and PML-Functional have one senator each in the House. 8 senators, who sit on the government benches, are from tribal districts.
The two votes of the Jamaat-e-Islami can’t be counted in the basket of the opposition or the government as this party has embarked upon an “independent” policy.
It stayed away from the APC and doesn’t stand with the government as well. Its Senate votes may go to either side or its MPs may even abstain.
Sadiq Sanjrani doesn’t belong to any of the political parties. He was elected a senator by an independent group. However, later the independent group, he belonged to, formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
The numerical assets of the two sides apart, the chairman’s ouster, the first of its kind, will be a huge development that may stir the already charged political environment.
It may further peak the confrontation. Already, the opposition’s domination in the Senate has debilitated the government to get any bill passed from the Upper House.
PPP’S ROLE AND SANJRANI:
The PPP that had played a key role in getting Sanjrani elected in March 2018 will be instrumental in getting rid of him.
At the time, the PPP role had surprised many as the party – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – that, according to the parliamentary traditions, had the right to get the position with the support of some other groups, had been deprived of it just share, because of the stand taken by Zardari.
At the time of the election of Sanjrani, the relations between the PPP and PML-N were strained. But now hard-pressed due to institution of cases against their top leaders and their incarceration, both parties have cozied up to each other.