- Newly elected Senate chairman thanks PTI, PPP for support in Senate polls
QUETTA: Newly elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani rejected the claims of being backed by the ‘establishment’, adding that it has become part of politics to blame institutions.
Talking to media in Quetta on Sunday, he said, “Blaming ‘establishment’ or anyone else is part of politics. They are basically doing politics.”
The independent senator argued that his character would ultimately prove whether he was political or not. All four provinces should have a chance of bringing their representative as a Senate chairman on a rotation basis, he suggested.
Sanjrani asserted that he would introduce legislation for Balochistan. “We will assist the federal government wherever needed,” he said, adding that he wanted to do a lot for his province.
He called former PM Nawaz Sharif as “Pakistan’s leader”, arguing that “he can say whatever he wants”.
Also, he thanked the senators who voted in his favour, lauding the support of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Balochistan senator Sadiq Sanjrani was elected to Senate as an independent candidate in the March 3 election after he secured 57 votes out of the total 103 cast for the seat, defeating the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Raja Zafarul Haq, who managed only 46.
Senator Sadiq Sanjrani was backed by the joint opposition, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and independents from Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). PML-N veteran Raja Zafarul Haq, on the other hand, was nominated by the ruling party and supported by its coalition partners.
During the Senate polls, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had accused Asif Zardari and Imran Khan of being “pawns of the establishment”.
Furthermore, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had taken a suo moto notice of the alleged horse-trading in Senate polls and hinted that it might seek help from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and intelligence agencies to probe the allegations.
