Ruffled feathers: PDM bigwigs join heads over shock defeat in Senate

Nawaz sees establishment's role behind Gilani’s defeat; Zardari calls for action against vote spoilers

ISLAMABAD:

The big three of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) established contact on Saturday and vowed to get to the bottom of the defeat of the alliance’s joint candidate – Yousaf Raza Gilani – in the election for Senate chairman slot.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman pondered over the setback in the Senate elections during the telephonic conversation, sources told The Express Tribune.

Victory for both the government-backed candidates on the top Senate slots is considered a major shock for the anti-government 11-party alliance, which had stunned the government when it won the federal capital’s seat in the Senate elections on March 3.

Also read: Rude awakening for PDM

The victory had forced Prime Minister Imran Khan to take a vote of confidence from the National Assembly; which he did and started his second political innings at the midway of the constitutional term of five years.

Experts believe that Friday’s defeat in the face of clear majority in the House has put the PDM on the back foot and given the much-needed respite to the government amid the ongoing political volatility.

The JUI-F amir, during today’s telephonic interaction discussed the opposition’s upcoming long march on Islamabad to topple the government of Prime Minister Imran. The trio also agreed to approach relevant forums to challenge yesterday’s elections of the upper house of the parliament.

Zardari assured the other two of strict action against PPP senators if they were found involved in deliberately wasting their votes.

Read more: PDM to challenge Senate chairman election in high court: Bilawal

According to sources privy to the development, Sharif reiterated during the discussion that the establishment was behind the crisis and suggested to check telephone data of senators who received anonymous calls from unknown numbers and of those who had met with any government personality or its candidate.

The PDM bigwigs agreed to launch an investigation against those opposition senators who have close links with re-elected chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The matter would be discussed in detail in the alliance’s upcoming huddle scheduled for Tuesday, according to sources.

The meeting, chaired by Maulana Fazl and hosted by PML-N at its secretariat in Islamabad, would be attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, among all major leaders of the alliance. Zardari and Sharif would address the huddle via video-link.

The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place on Monday.

PDM head Maulana Fazl has contacted the alliance's secretary general, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and informed him about the change of plans. The options of en masse resignations would also come under discussion, he told Abbasi, adding that this option would increase the chances of long march's success.

During today's intercation with party heads, Maulana Fazl expressed his surprise over the rejection of same number of votes during the election for the Senate chairman, which were later polled in favour of the government-backed candidate in the election for the deputy chairman.

Contesting elections will not solve problems under these circumstances, he was quoted as saying. “An impression is being created among people that we are not fighting for their rights,” he added.

The PDM head however claimed that yesterday’s election result would not impact the anti-government movement. “We should go to the people for solution of their issues,” he added.

Hamza meets Shehbaz

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz has met his father and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Political situation emerging following the Senate elections was discussed in the meeting.

With the opposition announcing that they would challenge the results and the government claiming a moral victory against the PDM, political temperature is expected to remain high in the coming days as the opposition alliance has already announced March 26 as the date for starting a long march against the government.

(With input from DNA)