The government's decision to bring a no-confidence motion against Saleem Mandviwalla, in a tit for tat move, may have been tactically flawed as it would ensure that former President Zardari would give explicit instructions to PPP senators to vote for the joint opposition candidate, informed sources told Business Recorder.
Sheikh Rashid, Minister Railways, as well as other senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders, maintain that as the voting for the chair and deputy chair would be by secret ballot hence the possibility of floor crossing would be high and hinted that President Zardari may not be averse to seeing the opposition move to remove Sanjrani fail.
However, if the opposition candidate for Senate chair Hasil Khan Bizenjo fails to secure the required votes to become the next chairman Senate, then it is quite possible that the PML-N leadership may issue instructions to its senators not to vote for Saleem Mandviwalla.
Faced with no-confidence motion from the joint opposition, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani cannot preside over the session of the upper house of the Parliament that would decide his fate, yet he is constitutionally empowered to nominate his replacement to run the house's legislative business during his absence.
According to Section 14 (1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012, "At the commencement of each session, the Chairman shall nominate, in order of precedence, from amongst the members a panel of not more than three Presiding Officers and, in the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, the member having precedence amongst those present shall preside at the sitting."
Normally, the chairman Senate authorises the deputy chairman Senate to run the house proceedings in his absence. However, given that both Sanjrani, the Chairman Senate, and Saleem Mandviwalla, the Deputy Chairman Senate, are facing no-confidence motions moved by the opposition and government respectively, the senators, as per relevant constitutional provisions, are empowered to choose one of their colleagues to run the session if the chairman Senate does not nominate any senator to act as presiding officer.
Section 14 (2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012 reads, "If at any time at a sitting of the Senate neither the Chairman nor the Deputy Chairman nor any member on the panel is present, the Secretary shall so inform the Senate and the Senate shall, by motion, elect one of the members present to preside at the sitting."
Earlier on Tuesday, for the first time ever in the legislative history of Pakistan, the opposition senators, except from Jamat-e-Islami (JI), submitted a no-confidence resolution for the removal of chairman Senate.
The opposition's move came in accordance with Section 12 (1) of the same Senate business rules. This section reads, "Not less than one-fourth of the total membership of the House may give to the Secretary notice in writing of a motion for leave to move a resolution-for the removal from office of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman and the Secretary shall forthwith circulate the notice to the members."
Later, the government, in a tit-for-tat response, moved a no-confidence resolution against Mandviwalla.
Section 12 (12) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Senate 2012 reads, "The Chairman or, as the case may be, Deputy Chairman shall stand removed from his office on the resolution being passed by a majority of the total membership of the Senate."
The voting on both no-confidence motions against chairman Senate and deputy chairman Senate are held through secret ballot.
According to Section 12 (10) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Senate 2012, "Voting on the resolution (against chairman/deputy chairman) shall be by secret ballot which shall be held in such manner as the presiding officer may direct."
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Monday called on Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani at the Parliament House. A statement issued by Senate Secretariat quoted the CM Punjab as saying that the "elected senators of Punjab have full confidence in Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani and we are quite sure that the no-confidence motion against the chairman Senate moved by opposition would be unsuccessful."
The CM further said that the chairman Senate is striving for the protection of the rights of federating units and he is playing a key role in promoting harmony and coordination among provinces.