Elections for Senate's chair, deputy chair were 'engineered': Fazlur Rehman

PDM meeting will discuss the future course of action and the long march, says Fazl

Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday claimed that the recent Senate elections for the post of chairman and deputy chairman were "engineered" by state institutions. 

While addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president asked why were the legitimate votes rejected after the conclusion of polling.  

"The interference of institutions in the Senate elections is visible. All institutions were blind during the election of the deputy chairman."

He added that in the past, members of different parties had misused their votes but, the betrayal of a single member does not change the stance of the party as a whole. The JUI-F chief further said that Tuesday's PDM meeting would also discuss the future course of action, including the long march. 

Fazl also claimed that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was being threatened as NAB had approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) to cancel her bail.

"Is NAB a spokesperson for the institutions? NAB is confirming our position by becoming the spokesperson of other institutions, now the courts have become our last hope," he said.

On March 12, the ruling PTI-backed Sadiq Sanjrani of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) pulled off a surprise 48-42 victory despite the opposition’s numerical superiority in the upper house, after seven votes of PDM’s Yusuf Raza Gilani were rejected.

Even more surprising was the 54-44 result of the election for the post of the deputy chairman where government-backed Mirza Muhammad Afridi defeated JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.

Read more: PPP in no mood to ‘give govt a walk-over’

Following the shock defeat, PDM’s big three – PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – held a telephonic conversation to discuss the Senate election result and agreed to investigate the opposition senators suspected of being close to Sanjrani.

When PML-N’s Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal was asked to comment on why Maulana Fazl is insisting on resignations, Iqbal said that the “PDM leadership will decide on these issues in its 16 March [meeting]”. He did not reply about the PML-N’s position on the issue.

Several PPP lawmakers were asked about the issue of resignations but they refrained from making any comments. Later, a PPP lawmaker, requesting anonymity, revealed that Fazl is suggesting to come out of the system and put up a fight while Bilawal believes in staying in the system and fighting.

The opposition has the numbers and the people on its side, the lawmaker said. He added that the PPP supports the long march but the only issue is its duration, as a sit-in after the long march amid fasting during the holy month of Ramazan would not get along.

The political temperature in the country, especially in the federal capital is on the rise since the PDM announced anti-government rallies in September last year. Since then, the opposition parties held rallies in different cities, severely criticised the government and continued mounting pressure on it.