–Four-member PTI delegation meets Opp candidate Hasil Bizenjo, fails to convince him to withdraw no-trust move against Sadiq Sanjrani
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Friday made yet another attempt to persuade the opposition parties against bringing a no-confidence motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, however the efforts have failed to bear fruit so far.
According to reports, a four-member PTI delegation led by Senator Shibli Faraz held a meeting with the opposition’s candidate for the Senate chairmanship, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, at his residence and urged him to withdraw the no-trust motion against Sanjrani. However, Bizenjo rejected the request, saying it was too late for the opposition to retract their decision.
On Wednesday, a PTI delegation led by Senator Shibli Faraz and Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal had called on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman and made a similar request but they failed to convince the senior politician.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Fazl, Kamal requested the opposition to withdraw the resolution against Sanjrani even though it was their “democratic right”, saying there is “no precedent of the practice”.
“This may lead to a no-confidence motion being submitted every two to three months,” he warned.
“We do not want the dignity of the Senate to be compromised,” PTI Senator Faraz said.
The PTI will also contact other opposition parties “as a matter of principle”, said Shibli, saying: “What can be better than reaching out to opposition parties in order to improve the political situation?”
‘HORSE-TRADERS WILL BE DEALT HARSHLY’:
The government delegation also approached the PPP over the issue, hoping the latter has a change of heart concerning the ouster of Sanjrani.
In response, the PPP told the government delegation that the party chief, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, was busy with the Karachi gathering preparations; however, the message will be conveyed to him and the party would get back to the government.
A few hours later, Bilawal outrightly rejected the offer in a press conference in Karachi.
The PPP chief warned the government of “dire consequences”, claiming that opposition senators were being offered money in return for their votes in favour of Sanjrani.
“Mir Hasil Bizenjo will be the Senate chairman and there will be no compromise over it. Agreeing to any deal with the government in this regard will have serious consequences for the country,” he said.
“I am asking opposition’s senators to take money from the government but vote for us. We will not spend a penny but their [government] money will be wasted” said the PPP chief.
The young politician claimed that some of the government members are in contact with the opposition leadership and they would vote for them in the no-confidence motion against Sanjrani.
According to Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini of Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal), the offer for changing the loyalties in no-trust voting against the chairman has reached seven to eight million rupees. The BNP-M senator was of the opinion that the “price” could climb up and it could go in between “fifty to one hundred million”.
THE NUMBER 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 as it stayed away from the APC and doesn’t stand with the government as well.
The party also refrained from attending today’s opposition meeting to oust Sanjrani.
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.
