Elections for the Senate seats, vacated by retiring members after their six-year tenure, and for the two coveted posts of chairman and deputy chairman of the Parliament’s house, was historic indeed, and carried important messages for both, the ruling PTI, and its allies, as well as for the combined opposition.
It was, in fact, a tit-for-tat episode, quite new of its kind in recent history, where both the ruling party and the combined opposition 11-party alliance, called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). It was a bitter fight, as both were keen for superiority and if the contests were to be called a fight between hungry lions, it won’t be wrong.
If PTI and allies, suffered a shocking defeat in competition for the Islamabad seat, where PDM’s Yusuf Reza Gilani, humbled Imran Khan, and allies nominee, incumbent finance minister Hafeez Sheikh, the more important contest for the seats of Chairman and Deputy Chairman saw just the reverse. The issue was settled in a just and fair manner. But instead of finishing the matter then and there, and taking victory or defeat with grace and humility, the opposition agitated for losing the fight.
Unfortunate it may sound or appear, but it opened a new front—war of words, between PTI and its principal rivals, especially the three major parties—the PPP, the Noon League, and Maulana Falur Rehman, spearheading anti-government campaign since long, and still appears furious over the defeat of his candidate for the second in command at the Upper house Abdul Ghafoor Haidery. This surely in bad states.
If parliamentarians, in whom the nation has trust, and looks up to them for guidance and solving their problems of varied nature, behave otherwise, it will, God forbid, may lead to disastrous results.
Victory, in the Islamic society which Pakistan is, demands humility and bowing before Almighty for His kindness. While Imran showed tremendous maturity, confining himself to merely congratulating the winners, his ministers and advisers, however, behaved just the opposite to it. Jubilation is natural, but to be done with simplicity and without any semblance of arrogance.
While jubilant at Gilani’s triumph on Islamabad seat, sorry to say, went berserk at the loss of Chairman’s seat. Experts were still busy analyzing the final vote for 48 against 42 for Sadiq Sanjrani, and Gilani, in fact, former senate chairman Farooq H Naek, as a polling agent for the former minister, and ex-national assembly speaker, contested presiding officer Syed Muzaffar Ali’s decision to reject 8 of Gilani’s vote, looked furious and accused the seasoned parliament of being biased in favour of the ruling alliance. Muzaffar Shah, a former Sindh chief minister, and Sindh Assembly Speaker remained calm and composed but failed to convince Naek that his ruling was strictly according to rules.
The question here is as to why did the opposition not object to his presiding the special session of the Upper House. No reservations were shown, which means that everyone had taken it to be according to norms and procedure.
Meanwhile, in the Deputy Chairman’s election, ruling alliance’s Mirza Ahmad Afridi defeated JUI (F)’s candidate Ghafoor Haidery. It kept silent and should have learnt a lesson. It is now crystal clear, that Gilani victory over Hafeez Sheikh on March 3, was by a margin of 6 votes. Obviously, something had gone wrong somewhere.
While Bilawal swore to challenge the Chairman’s election in the supreme court and all others for an available for justice, Fazlur Rehman summoned a meeting of alliance chiefs on Tuesday, March 16 in Islamabad. Obviously, he must be feeling humiliated on his nominee’s defeat, and went back on his original demand for resignations from Assemblies, and Long March on Islamabad.
Maryam Nawaz However, facing Lahore High Court cancellation of bail which she is enjoying since 6th November 2019. NAB which filed the prayer before the superior court, says Maryam was misusing the facility granted to her for a limited period, to accuse Establishment, a terminology normally used for army.
However, PML-N’s vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave it totally wrong colour, saying NAB wants to deny Maryam the right to freedom of expression which the Constitution guaranteed to citizens of Pakistan. This was a twisted statement and should have been avoided.
As for the coming days, weeks etc, most of the law experts have made it clear that Assembly proceedings are unchallengeable in any court or other fora under Article 60 and 69 of the Constitution. What will happens, people have to wait patiently.
