Staff reporter
Islamabad
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hosted a luncheon for opposition senators on Wednesday, as arrangements reached their final stages for Thurday’s Senate session during which voting for the no-trust motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani would be held. More than 50 senators from the PPP, PML-N, National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Awami National Party, and former Fata attended the lunch hosted in the Senate’s banquet hall, following which Bilawal told reporters that Sanjrani still had time to voluntarily resign if he wanted.
“If Sadiq Sanjrani sahib has decided to resign even now, it will be a good decision,” he said, adding that the opposition had gathered enough numbers to deseat the Senate chairman.
“It would have been good if the Senate chairman had resigned, otherwise he is going tomorrow anyway.”
Senate chairman Saddiq Sanjrani on Wednesday decided to not resign from his post over a bid of joint opposition to move a no-confidence motion in the Upper House of Parliament to oust him. He stayed determined on not stepping down from his seat saying that Speaker and Senate Chairman are neutral and he wants to see if they can make an independent and neutral decision for the custodian of the House.
Saddiq Sanjrani issued a statement expressing that the option of secret voting by the members ensures impartiality for the Chairman Senate and the Speaker in the decision making.
Meanwhile, the opposition’s joint candidate for Senate chairman, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, while speaking to reporters said that he had already won “the day my name was put forward”.
Also on Wednesday, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called on Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif at his Islamabad residence.
During the meeting, Fazl and Shahbaz discussed the no-trust move against the Senate chairman and the future strategy of the opposition. The two leaders also discussed the overall political and economic situation of the country. Shahbaz chaired a meeting of the coordination committee of PML-N senators earlier in the day. “The opposition is united,” the PML-N president was quoted as saying at the gathering.
