ISLAMABAD ( MEDIA REPORT )
The no-trust motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, tabled by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq as session of the Upper House has been rejected on Thursday.
The upper House takes up the first-ever no-trust motions against its chairman and deputy chairman, both of them cannot chair the session according to the rules; hence President Arif Alvi has nominated Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to chair the session.
64 senators stood up in support of the motion to table the no-confidence resolution when Barrister Saif directed senators, who were in favour of the resolution, to stand on their seats.
The opposition nominated Javed Abbasi while members supporting Sanjrani nominated Noman Wazir as their polling agents.
Senators’ names are being called in alphabetical order. Hafiz Abdul Kareem cast his first vote.
The government and the opposition have locked horns in an unprecedented Senate session today for the chairmanship of the upper House of the Parliament, and the opposition in the senate has ‘apparently’ gained the support of 65 senators for its joint candidate Hasil Bizenjo, whereas the incumbent chairman Sadiq Sanjrani is being backed by 36 senators, who are in alliance with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The total number of Senate seats is 104. There are currently 103 senators as Ishaq Dar of the PML-N is yet to take oath.
A total of 53 votes are required to remove the chairman and deputy chairman from their offices. The opposition has a total of 67 members, one of whom (Ishaq Dar) has still not taken oath. Out of the remaining 66 senators, two belong to Jamaat-i-Islami, which has decided to abstain from the proceedings.
After disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif, 13 senators were elected as independent candidates, including Mushahid Hussain Syed, Sabir Shah, Mehmood-ul-Hasan, Rana Maqbool, Asad Ashraf, Asif Kirmani, Asad Junejo, Musadiq Malik, Shaheen Khalid Butt, Nizhat Sadiq, Kamran Micheal, Shameem Afridi and Hafiz Abdul Kareem.