The joint opposition has finalised its strategy to de-seat Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani in the upcoming session of the House, which has been summoned on August 1, 2019. The Rehbar Committee - a representative body of the opposition political parties to finalise anti-government movement - on Tuesday held its meeting and discussed its next course of action with regard to de-seating the chairman Senate.
Leader of the Opposition in Senate and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader, Senator Raja Zafarul Haq presided over the meeting of 52 members of the opposition.
The meeting was attended by several senators from the opposition parties, including Sherry Rehman, Sassui Palijo, Karishna Kumari, Pervez Rashid, Mustafa Khokhar, Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Abdul Quyyum, Nuzhat Sadiq, Robina Khalid, Atta-ur-Rehman, Tahir Bizenjo, Asif Kirmani and Rahila Magsi, among others.
The meeting also discussed the Tuesday's agenda of the Senate to hold debate on no-confidence motion against the chairman and rejected the agenda on the grounds that no discussion could be held prior to voting on the motion. Talking to the media after the meeting, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said that the opposition has decided that the House which was convened on Tuesday on the requisition should be prorogued, saying that no debate could be held on the resolution.
He further stated that the opposition has also finalised its strategy for the upcoming session on August 1 to remove the chairman Senate and defend its backed deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla. Sources said that the parties expressed confidence on the efforts for de-seating the chairman Senate by claiming majority of more than 60 senators in the 104-member House. The opposition parties need 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 Senate with PML-N having 32 senators, PPP, 20, JUI-F, 4, PKMAP, 2, NP, 5, and ANP, 1 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 of 14 senators is backed by its allies, including MQM-P, 5, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), 2, BNP-M, 1, and PML-F, 1 senator, 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.
President Dr Arif Alvi has already summoned session of the Senate to meet on August 1, 2019 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 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also submitted a no-confidence resolution against Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla of Pakistan Peoples Party on July 12.