PML(N) with majority has right to elect Chairman Senate: Leaguers
PESHAWAR, (MILLAT ONLINE):Senior PML(N)leaders here Monday said Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) was in strong position
to elect Chairman Senate after the party’s strength has jumped to 33 senators
in the Upper House of the Parliament after March 3 polls.
PML(N) Parliamentary leader in KP Assembly, Sardar Aurangzaib Nalota told APP that PML(N) backed candidates has won 15 seats in the recent Senate elections including 11 senators from Punjab, two each senators from KP and Federal Capital, raising its total strength to 33 in the Upper House and was in a powerful position to elect its Chairman Senate.
He said PMLN’s Dilawar Khan and Pir Sabir Shah were elected from KP that has reflected
our MPAs unshakable trust in the policies and leadership of Nawaz Sharif. “PMLN
is in contact with likeminded political parties and independents senators to
get their support for the office of Chairman Senate,” he remarked.
Nalota maintained that Leader of the House in Senate and Chairman PMLN, Zafarul Haq,
former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Pervez
Rasheed and former PMLN KP President, Pir Sabir Shah were favorite candidates for
the Office of Chairman Senate,” he said.
“The veteran
leaguers have vast experiences in parliamentary politics, association with
Pakistan Muslim League-N and made long contributions in the national politics
and promotion of democracy,” he said, adding they are the trust worthy aides of
PMLN Quaid Nawaz Sharif and their personality was acceptable to all beyond of
any shadow of doubts.
It is an established norm in the parliamentary
politics that political parties with majority votes was asked to elect leader
of the of the houses for bicameral legislature. Therefore, the PML(N) that
emerged victorious in the Senate Polls has the right to elect their Chairman as
they are short of only four senators to acquire the required strength for the
Upper House of the Parliament.
The strength of PMLN and its allies
have reached to 48 in the recent senate polls where the PPP stood its second
position with 22 senators and PTI 12 senators.
In 2015 Senate elections, Nalota
said, former Primer Nawaz Sharif had agreed upon on the name of PPP leader Mian
Raza Rabbani for the slot of Senate Chairmanship as the PPP was in majority at
that time.
Therefore, political parties including PPP should prevail sense and wisdom in their decision making and allow the majority party ie PMLN to elect it chairman, thus completing the smooth transition
of power in the Upper House amicably.
He castigated the recent assertions of Chairman PPP, Bilwal Bhutto Zardari challenging the PMLN to get elect its candidate as Chairman Senate and asked him to show political maturity at this juncture of
politics instead of making it controversial as any hobnobbing would lead to political
destabilization.
He further argued that any race for Chairman’s slot among political entities, depriving the majority party, would amount to further horse trading in the Senate, which must be avoided in the
country’s larger interest and democracy.
Already, he said, massive horse trading was witnessed in KP senate elections as the political parties with four to five seats got elected their two senators and added senate election has exposed all
those elements that sold their conscious.
Media reports revealed that KP CM in his initial investigation note to PTI Chief Imran Khan has disclosed that
about 17 to 20 PTI disgruntled lawmakers mostly women allegedly cast their
votes to candidates of other parties and draws flak from PTI stalwarts and have
decided to thoroughly probe the horse-trading.
So much so the deputy parliamentary
leader of PTI in KP assembly Shaukat Yousafzai is on record having said ‘PTI
has been purged of dirt’ in the Senate election as we knew our legislatures that
allegedly sold out their conscious.
The PTI leader said it was very
difficult for them to block the ways of horse-trading that has jumped to record
Rs40 to Rs80 million a night before election polling and alleged massive horse trading
mostly by the women and disgruntled PTI legislatures.
The defeat of the PTI billionaire
candidate, Khayal Zaman Afridi, and PTI backed Sami-ul-Haq has taken the party
by surprise and was considered as major upset in Senate elections. Yousafzai also
suggested amendment in the procedure of conduct of Senate election in order to
avoid horse trading in future.
PMLN leader and MPA Saleh Muhammad
Khan said Chairman Senate was the right of his party as it was enjoying
majority in the Upper House and expressed the optimism that other political parties
would support them.
PMLN has accepted the mandate of
PTI and PPP in KP and Sindh after 2013 general elections and allowed them to
form governments in respective provinces. Saleh Muhammad expressed the hope
that PPP and PTI will reciprocate the same gesture and will help PMLN to elect its
Chairman Senate.
He said smooth holding of senate
election was significant step forward towards strengthen democracy and constitution
rule besides holding of general elections in time.
Saleh urged people and political
parties besides others stakeholders to get united for the General Election 2018.