PM Abbasi is my elder brother, says Senate chairman during Lahore visit

Sanjrani says he hasn't done anything to upset PM Abbasi

LAHORE: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, during a visit to the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal, said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is his "older brother" and the premier can say as he pleases.

Sanjrani also said that he hasn't done anything to upset the premier. "Lahore is the heart of Pakistan, and my heart beats for Pakistan," he said, during his visit.



Strict security measures were taken during the Senate chairman's visit and he also visited Data Darbar and paid respects there.

Earlier, Abbasi had criticised the Senate elections after the ruling party suffered a defeat despite its overall majority in the Upper House. He had said the country could not earn respect in the world with “such elections that were contested through the power of money”.

“An election where votes were sold and purchased got us a chairman who was not known in political circles before. It is sad to have such a person as chairman of the Senate, an institution that represents the federation,” the PM added.

Abbasi had also said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had always stood on guard for the democratic system and faced all conspiracies and dharna-driven politics during the last five years in government and successfully delivered on all its promises. “There is a need to elect a consensus candidate as the Senate reflects the federation,” he urged.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwala were elected after the opposition parties, mainly the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), joined hands to secure the top posts in the upper house.



Sanjrani secured 57 votes against 46 by PML-N candidate Raja Zafarul Haq for the Senate chairmanship. On the other hand, Mandviwala secured 54 votes against 44 bagged by Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Usman Kakar for the post of deputy chairman. The opposition parties’ leadership congratulated Sanjrani on Twitter soon after he won the Senate chairmanship.