News Desk |
While media is ripe with speculations about conspiracies being hatched by the opposition parties to remove Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, newly emerged reports reveal that PM Khan has assured that the federal government supports Chairman Sanjrani, debunking speculations of his removal as a non-starter.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Parliament house chambers on Tuesday. Sources reveal that during this meeting, Prime Minister Khan assured Chairman Sanjrani that the PTI-led government will extend support in the instance of any conspiracy hatched by the opposition in a bid to present a no-confidence motion against his appointment.
PPP Senator Rehman Malik questioned the validity of these speculations and termed them to be nothing more than a “wishful assumption”.
Conspiracies against Senate Chairman?
This meeting was held a day after the Awami National Party (ANP) issued a formal demand for the removal of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, an important step to launch the anti-government campaign hatched by the two major opposition parties.
Senator Zahid Khan, senior ANP leader, had called upon all the opposition parties to issue a no-confidence move against Chairman Sanjrani, urging that “If Sadiq Sanjrani is not de-seated, then people will not trust Bilawal and Maryam, therefore, to restore the confidence of the opposition parties, the removal is mandatory.”
Read more: Sadiq Sanjrani elected as Chairman Senate
If Sadiq Sanjrani is not de-seated, then people will not trust Bilawal and Maryam, therefore, to restore the confidence of the opposition parties, the removal is mandatory.
— Zahid Khan (@SenatorZahidK) June 19, 2019
The ANP Senator said, “Initiation of movement against the government should start with the removal of the Senate chairman and a joint candidate should be brought for the position afterwards.”
Zahid Khan tweeted, “If Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maryam Nawaz Sharif are serious to launch an anti-government drive, then they should remove the Senate chairman and that his party will stand with the opposition on the issue.”
Read more: PML-N, PPP join hands to remove Senate chairman
If @BBhuttoZardari and @MaryamNSharif are serious to launch an anti-government drive, then they should remove the Senate chairman and that his party will stand with the opposition on the issue.
— Zahid Khan (@SenatorZahidK) June 19, 2019
Media reports now state that the leadership of the opposition parties, PML-N, PPP and ANP, are now attempting to distance themselves from the demand of removing Senate Chairman Sanjrani, even outright opposing such a decision.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F chief, had announced earlier that his party is calling a Multi-Party Conference (MPC) to join forces with the opposition parties and initiate an anti-government drive.
The leadership of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf maintains that the opposition parties are hatching conspiracies in a bid to rescue their senior leadership booked in mega-corruption cases, advising them to focus on their “elders” as opposed to scheming to disrupt the upper house.
Read more: Can PTI and PPP’s joint nominee Sadiq Sanjrani overpower PML-N &…
Opposition Nullifies Reports
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was elected after bagging 57 votes, defeating the PML-N opponent Raja Zafarul Haq, he assumed the position after Raza Rabbani, senior PPP leader, vacated the post in March 2018.
Responding to media reports, suggesting that PPP and PML-N leadership are working toward de-seating Senate Chairman Sanjrani, and ushering in a new chairman for the upper house of the parliament, multiple opposition leaders nullified these reports while speaking to a prominent newspaper.
PML-N Senator General (r) Abdul Qayyum maintained that the Senate Chairman was fulfilling his responsibilities impeccably, and discarded all speculations about his removal as “rumors”. Senator Qayyum assured that the PML-N leadership had no discussion on this agenda.
Read more: Sanjrani eligible to be acting president, rules IHC
Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, special assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, also nullified such reports and observed that such a move could not be possible as Mr. Sanjrani holds a “constitutional post” that cannot be removed unless according to the procedure outlined by the Constitution.
PPP Senator Rehman Malik questioned the validity of these speculations and termed them to be nothing more than a “wishful assumption”.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed is reported to have said that the opposition will never reap success in their conspiracies to de-seat Sanjrani. Speaking to ET, he said, “They only agree to the points where they can save each other by covering up their corruption. PPP and PML-N are only trying to unite for their own interests. PTI stands by Sadiq Sanjrani.”