Parliament faces defeat today: Bizenjo

ISLAMABAD: National Party (NP) chief Hasil Bizenjo commenting on the election of top Senate slots on Monday lamented that parliament has been defeated today, Geo News reported.

“The parliament has been completely defeated. It has been proved today that some forces are more supreme than parliament,” he said in his speech after the election of the new chairman and deputy chairman of the House.

Slamming the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which was backing the new Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, the NP chief said it is not the party of Benazir Bhutto or Zulfikar Bhutto who won today.

“Those supreme forces have won and have shown that they can turn parliament into a 'mandi',” he said. “Today, I am ashamed of sitting here,” he added. Bizenjo’s charged speech was interrupted by Sanjrani, who asked him to reserve the day for congratulating the members.

“Congratulations on what? Today the House’s face has been blackened,” Bizenjo said, adding that if he does not make a speech today, he won’t be able to for the rest of his life. He also blasted the opposition for terming the chairman’s election a victory from Balochistan, saying the parties turned the Balochistan Assembly into a “mandi”.

“After the building has collapsed, it is being said we have done it for Balochistan. Is this what you’ve done for Balochistan? You did the same with KP,” he said. Prior to him, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani took the floor and said that he will continue to fight for the supremacy of parliament on the floor and outside the House if need be.

Congratulating Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandiwalla on their election, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said the Senate polls were a step towards promoting democracy because people feared the election would not take place at all. “Who gave you a vote or who didn’t [does not matter now as] democracy demands accepting defeat and others’ victory even if it is by one vote,” Siraj said.