The opposition parties have stepped up efforts to de-seat the government-backed Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, while the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is also claiming to give a 'surprise' and defeat the move. A meeting of the joint opposition has been convened to meet today (Tuesday) to discuss the strategy to remove Sanjrani through vote of no-confidence followed by a dinner-meeting to be hosted by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Islamabad Club to show numerical strength.
The PPP sources said that invitations have been extended to all the senators belonging to the opposition parties to attend the dinner-meeting and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif has also been given the invitation to attend the dinner.
On the other hand, Leader of the House in Senate and senior PTI leader Shibli Faraz told media persons at the Parliament House on Monday that he has also convened a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the government's strategy to defeat the opposition's move. "You will see and we are going to give a surprise, as we have been able to muster the support of the required number of senators," Faraz claimed.
Sources said that the parties in the meeting expressed confidence on the efforts for de-seating the chairman Senate by claiming majority of more than 60 senators in the 104-member House. It needs support of the 53 members to de-seat Sanjrani and replace him with the opposition's nominated member of the House. The opposition political parties are enjoying majority in the 104-member Senate with PML-N having 32 senators, PPP, 20, JUI-F, 4, PkMAP, 2, NP, 5, and ANP has one senator, taking the total number of the opposition senators to 64 and making the opposition in a comfortable position to de-seat Sanjrani.
The PTI with a total 14 senators is backed by its allies, including MQM-P, 5, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), 2, BNP-M, 1, and PML-F, 1, taking the total strength of the treasury to 23, while the party is also claiming support of some independents as well as members from the opposition parties. Meanwhile, the Senate will meet on August 1 to decide about the fate of Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla who are facing two separate no-confidence motions in the Upper House of the Parliament.
The incumbent chairman Senate Sanjrani is facing a no-confidence motion moved by the joint opposition on July 9, seeking his removal. In a tit-for-tat response, the ruling coalition led by PTI has also submitted a no-confidence resolution against the opposition-backed deputy chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party on July 12.
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