Islamabad March 10 (TNS): Senators have taken exception to the attempts by hidden forces to maneuver Senate elections even after they were held according to the schedule.
The relatively split mandate and party position has put political forces and their leadership in an awkward situation with many apprehending that forces that be wanted to see a hung parliament so that they could call the shot in the wake of a clear-cut majority by a single party or a group of the alliance.
The outgoing Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has hinted at not taking the oath of the senator on March 12 after he was severely criticized by PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, stating that Rabbani failed to stop the illegalities, as the custodian of the House, committed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sharif had already floated the name of Rabbani for the Senate chairman slot but it was refused by Zardari.
A spokesperson for Zardari and PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar was removed as the spokesperson of the former president after he came down hard on the hidden forces and the judiciary for undermining the authority of the parliament.
ANP Senator Afrasiab Khattak, meanwhile, said in a social media post that first attempts were made not to let Senate elections held under plan-A and when it failed, attempts are afoot to control Senate in the spirit of the puppet show.
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He also said that Rabbani and Babar were the pain in the neck for advocating the supremacy of the parliament. “It’s about democracy and deep state. Who stands where?” he commented.
Meanwhile, wheeling and dealings are underway to coalesce independent senators and lawmakers of smaller parties to give a tough time to the PML-N and its allies in getting the slot of Senate chairman and deputy chairman. The PML-N has 34 senators and its allies, the JUI-F, the NP and PKMAP have over 15 senators. The ANP and the JI and the MQM have also hinted to lend their support to the PML-N for the Senator chairman’s slot and 53 votes would be required for any party to get the coveted slot of the Upper House of Parliament.
Political pundits believe that the forces that would never want the PML-N to call the shot in the Senate as according to them, the PML-N leadership could introduce sweeping constitutional amendments that could have far-reaching results in the future landscape of Pakistan’s politics.
If the intended constitutional amendments are taken, it would be a big achievement for the PML-N, which plans to slash the age limit of superior court judges from 65 to 61, and laws are enacted, three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, who are considered by the PML-N as ‘inimical’, will retire.
