Page 12 - Pakistan Link - March 26, 2021

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – MARCH 26, 2021 PAKISTAN
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Asks PPP, Islamabad High Court Dismisses

PML-N to Calm down and Mend Fences Gilani’s Petition Challenging
Senate Chairman’s Election

decision.
The differences between the
PML-N and the PPP emerged after
the PDM’s joint candidate – former
prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani –
lost to incumbent Senate Chairman
Sadiq Sanjrani. Later the PPP started
lobbying for Gilani to be made the
leader of the opposition in the upper
house of parliament.
Earlier, the PML-N maintained,
it was decided that all parties in the
PDM would support Gilani for the
post of Chairman, JUI-F’s Maulana
Ghafoor Haideri for the post of the
deputy chairman and PML-N would
take the office of the leader of the op-
position in Senate.
Responding to the PML-N, a
senior PPP leader had earlier told
The Express Tribune that the party
Maulana Fazlur Rehman discussed the political situation with the PPP and the “will not resign from the assemblies”, FormerPrime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani (left) and Senate Chairman Mu-
PML-N leaders adding that the PPP did not make hammad Sadiq Sanjrani — Photo courtesy The Nation/ Reuters
Islamabad: Pakistan Democratic sition should go to the largest opposi- any “commitment” during the PDM
Movement (PDM) President Maula- tion party in the House – PPP. meeting that PML-N would be sup- Islamabad: The Islamabad High der to maintain the dignity, integrity
na Fazlur Rehman swung into action “I have spoken to the leadership ported for the leader of the opposi- Court (IHC) on Wednesday dismissed and independence of Majlis-e-Shoora
on Wednesday, making contacts with of the PML-N and the PPP and told tion. a petition by former prime minister (Parliament), the chosen represen-
the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples both the parties to stop making state- “With 21 members, we [the Yousuf Raza Gilani challenging the tatives and political leadership will
Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim ments against each other,” Fazl, who PPP] are the largest opposition party results of the Senate chairman elec- endeavor to resolve disputes without
League-Nawaz (PML-N), and asked also heads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- in the Senate; why should the PML-N tion held earlier this month, noting involving the judicial branch of the
them to stop the on-going war of Fazl (JUI-F) said. “Disagreeing state- take all the three houses despite being that proceedings of the upper house State, by giving effect to the privileges,
words between them. ments will harm the PDM’s cause.” a “minority”,” the PPP stalwart asked, of parliament were “immune from the powers and immunities prescribed in
The PDM – the 10-party op- Sensing that the chaos may while referring to PML-N’s leader of interference” of the high court. the Constitution,” the IHC judgement
position alliance – has been facing prove to be the death knell for the the opposition in the National As- IHC Chief Justice Athar Minal- stated.
disputes, which boiled earlier this PDM, Fazl told the leadership that sembly and chairman of the Public lah presided over the hearing. Gilani’s petition had urged the
month after PPP’s Co-Chairman Asif the disagreements would create ha- Accounts Committee (PAC) – coun- During the hearing, the court IHC to declare the result of the elec-
Ali Zardari linked resignations from tred among workers, adding all the try’s highest accountability forum. asked Gilani’s counsel, Farook H. tion as well as the decision to make
the assemblies before long march parties needed to forget their differ- “Never in the parliamentary his- Naek, to answer whether the validity Sadiq Sanjrani the Senate chairman
to the return of PML-N’s supremo ences and move forward. tory has any “minority” party been of Senate proceedings could be called “null and void”.
Nawaz Sharif from London. During the talks, Fazl urged that given such a huge share; the PML- into question and whether Gilani had The petition had also called upon
Since then, both the parties had all the parties in the PDM should N’s leader of the opposition and PAC any other remedy available to him ac- the IHC to declare the rejection of the
been at loggerheads over the resigna- avoid negative talk on the social me- chairman is because of our [PPP] cording to the Constitution that did seven votes for Gilani as unlawful and
tion issue. The other hotly-contested dia. “PML-N and PPP have to think support and now they want their not involve the judiciary. thus return him as a candidate for the
issue is the nomination for the post beyond the politics of the ’90s,” he leader of the opposition in Senate as In his judgement, Justice Minal- office of the Senate chairman.
of leader of the opposition for which said. well,” the PPP leader said. lah wrote that the “language used by PPP to ‘raise issue of electoral
both the parties insisted on the nomi- Reportedly, Fazl discussed the Later, on March 21, PML-N the framers of the Constitution is theft at every forum’: Meanwhile, PPP
nation of their candidates. overall political situation with the Vice President Maryam Nawaz made unambiguous and effective in order Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
The PML-N accuses the PPP of PPP and the PML-N leadership and it clear that the opposition leader in to prevent a court from encroaching said that the party would continue to
deviating from its earlier commit- told Zardari that it had already been Senate would be from her party as upon the independence of the Majlis- “knock every door and raise the issue
ment made during a PDM meeting decided in the PDM meeting that the it was decided “in principle” at the e-Shoora (Parliament)”. [of electoral theft]” at every forum.
that the opposition leader in Senate Senate opposition leader would be PDM huddle ahead of elections for He observed that the Constitu- In a statement, Bilawal said that
would be from PML-N. On the other from the PML-N, therefore, all the chairman and deputy chairman of tion “clearly prevents” the courts from there was “no question about the
hand, the PPP maintains that the po- alliance parties should respect the the upper house. inquiring into the validity of proceed- supremacy of the Parliament or the
Bilawal Bhutto Berates Maryam ings of the parliament. Any attempt Constitution”. The PPP also respected
the independence of the judiciary, he
to “interfere” in parliamentary pro-
for Calling Him ‘Selected’ ceedings would “undermine the dig- added.
“Theft of chairman Senate elec-
nity, prestige and independence” of
the parliament and “expose the apex
tions through foul play by a presiding
Lahore: Pakistan People’s Party ing a press conference flanked by constitutional legislative forum to un- officer was a litmus test for the system
chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari former prime minister Yousaf Raza desirable and unwarranted criticism”, as it may get replicated in the future
has responded to Maryam Nawaz Gillani and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) the IHC Chief Justice added. thus undermining the very credibility
Sharif’s disparaging remarks which chief Siraj ul Haq as well as other JI Intrusions by the courts would of the democratic institutions,” the
many thought were an obvious ref- leaders. affect the people’s confidence in the PPP chairperson said.
erence to the son of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP chairman added that parliament while it would also have “This electoral theft will not be
Maryam on March 17 tweeted his party was ready for the long consequences for the judiciary “be- allowed to sustain,” he stressed, add-
“the one who should be really wor- march and had already booked cause it essentially exposes the courts ing that Gilani would become the
ried is the Selected bcoz he is being rooms in Islamabad for the purpose. to deal with matters having political Senate chairman because he had been
seen as a ‘spent force’ & his substi- “Whose idea was it to link the content”, Justice Minallah said in the “genuinely and legally elected”.
tute is being fostered”. long march with resignations, 10 judgement. The Pakistan Democratic Move-
Her tweet had come after re- days before it was to take place? “In a politically polarized envi- ment’s (PDM) joint-candidate for
ports of differences between Asif Ali And even if someone wanted to link ronment, intervention by the courts the Senate chairman election, Yousuf
Zardari and other parties of the Pak- resignations with the long march, and that too in disregard to the con- Raza Gilani, had lost the election to
istan Democratic Alliance (PDM) then it should have been done when stitutional privileges, powers and the PTI-backed Sanjrani after seven
over the issue of tendering resigna- all decisions were being made,” he immunities of the Majlis-e-Shoora votes of his were rejected by the pre-
tions from the National Assembly. added. (Parliament) is likely to have pro- siding officer.
It was understood that Mary- response from the Vice President of In response to a question, Bi- found ramifications in the context of The opposition had immediately
am called Prime Minister Imran the PPP. He said the PPP had given lawal said people whose decisions the confidence of the people relating challenged the result of the election
Khan “Selected” and Bilawal Bhutto supreme sacrifices in the past and proved wrong should review them. to impartiality of the judicial branch.” but was overruled by the presiding of-
Zardari “his substitute” in her tweet. suffered grievously for not com- “It was the PPP’s position that [the Justice Minallah observed that ficer who said the votes had been re-
When Bilawal was asked by promising on principles whereas a PDM] should contest the Senate the entire process of the Senate chair- jected because they were not stamped
reporters after his meeting with family of Lahore is a beneficiary of polls and by-elections. By doing this, man election was “wholly outside” the correctly. With a total of eight votes
Jamat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq to support from the army and has a tra- we gave the government setbacks,” high court’s jurisdiction and declared rejected, Gilani received 42 valid
comment on Maryam’s statement, dition of enjoying its patronage. he said. Gilani’s petition as “not maintainable”. votes, while Sanjrani won the elec-
the PPP chairman said he does not According to The News, PPP A few days ago, Maryam He also observed that Gilani had tion after bagging 48 votes. In total, 98
belong to the lot which get selected. chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Nawaz, responding to a tweet, had the option of removing Sanjrani from senators voted in the election.
Without taking names, he Monday said that a “political family cryptically written that a “substitute the office of Senate chairman through The issue raised controversy in
took a dig at Maryam Nawaz, say- of Lahore” has had a past of being of the selected is being fostered.” a majority resolution in the upper the opposition ranks with the PPP
ing any statement coming from the the selected ones. Maryam uses the term “selected” for house of parliament. vowing to challenge the result in the
Vice President of a party merits a The PPP chairman was address- BILAWAL, P15 “This Court expects that, in or- high court.
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