Pakistani opposition vows disciplinary action against defecting senators

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaaz Sharif have pledged strict disciplinary action against defectors within their ranks who secretly foiled opposition parties’ Thursday No-Trust move against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

Opposition parties with 64 senators in the Upper House of the Parliament were confident to get the Vote of No Confidence passed as only 53 votes were required for success of the motion but they could poll only 50 votes while five ballot papers were rejected and nine voted against the motion.

Voting for and against the motion was held through secret balloting.

It emerged that a total of 14 senators from the PML-N, PPP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and others had defected from their party policy.

On Friday, PML-N president who is also Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly called an emergency meeting of the party senators to review Thursday’s embarrassing defeat of Opposition despite having a clear number.

It was decided to identify the defecting senators and take disciplinary action against them. A committee was also formed to find out the ‘black sheep’ within party ranks.

Addressing the party senators, Shahbaz Sharif has said that the failure of the No-Confidence motion against Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was damaging to democracy.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has also pledged action against its senators who opted to part ways with the party line but are still continuing to pretend as party loyals.

Earlier, talking to media persons outside the Parliament House after defeat of the no-trust move on Thursday evening, the PML-N leader said action would be taken against senators who defied party policy and voted against the no-confidence motion.

Opposition parties’ joint candidate for top senate slot, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, was also present along with senior leadership of the opposition parties.

Bilawal said some petty senators have stabbed their parties in the back adding that “we will look into our party to see which of our members came under pressure or sold their conscience”.

He vowed to give a tough time to the puppet government despite the defeat. Calling or an All Parties Conference, he said: “We will introduce reforms to ensure transparent senate elections.”

PML-N President asserted that opposition in the meeting has decided to expose the dishonest senators in front of the masses in next All Parties Conference. Meanwhile, all the 21 senators of PPP handed over their resignations to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in solidarity with the party chairman.