ISLAMABAD: The combined opposition on Thursday said they were ashamed over the massive defeat over no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman and announced to expose 14 senators who voted against the opposition line in the secret ballot.
The PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, National party President and opposition’s candidate for Chairman Senate Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Maulana Asad Mehmood of the JUI-F and other leaders of the opposition held a press conference outside the Parliament House after the meeting of the combined opposition which was held at the chamber of the opposition leader.
Bilawal said an "attack" took place on the Senate, denting the country's democracy. Bilawal said democracy suffered due to the "attack" after a no-confidence resolution against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal.
The PPP chairman vowed to hold those responsible for the failed no-confidence motion. “After 64 members voted in favour of tabling the resolution, it should have been passed,” he remarked.
The joint opposition, on the other hand, has also announced to summon a sessionof All Parties Conference (APC). “It would be fully investigated,” he said, adding that he was not despondent and would, regardless, continue fighting for democracy.
“We will also see who in our party sold his conscience, who comes under pressure and stabbed in the back. We will not let them off the hook,” he vowed and said the opposition had won even in defeat and will continue to expose these “puppet senators and Senate chairman".
He insisted that the opposition is united and will continue its struggle inside and outside the parliament. Separately, all of the PPP’s 21 senators submitted their resignations to Bilawal on Thursday, with the PPP chairman saying what happened earlier in the day was dangerous to the Centre as well as the democracy.
Shahbaz Sharif said he believed that there had been influencing and horse-trading during the vote on the no-confidence motion against Sanjrani. “We have decided to expose those 14 senators that cheated in the voting, and we will also take action against them and will not leave them off the hook,” Shahbaz said, adding that the opposition has decided to expose the dishonest, who sold their conscience, in the all parties conference. “The whole nation watched that the selected government purchased the conscience of Senators to win, but in fact, it lost in front of the people of Pakistan,” he said, adding that this election shows how the majority changed into a minority in the general elections of 2018.
The PML-N president said it was decided that all parties conference will be summoned next week to bring the facts before the people and to expose those 14 senators who sold their conscience.
Maulana Asad Mehmood said the JUI-F has given the deadline of October to the government to resign and if they did not, then the JUI-F will march to Islamabad. “Today the worst horse-trading took place and the same pressures were being used which were used in the July 2018 elections to change the majority into a minority,” he said.
President National Party Mir Hasil Bizenjo said he was thankful to the opposition leadership to show their confidence in him. “I won morally,” he said. He said he will expose all those who were involved in horse-trading in the next meeting of the all parties conference.
“It was a tragic development for the Upper House of the Parliament which represents the Federation and also for the politics of the country,” he said, adding that despite all odds the opposition will not backtrack and continue struggle.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the ANP said a dangerous play has been played with Pakistan and they know why this was played. “They are trying to close all the doors of parliament but our struggle will continue for the supremacy of the Constitution,” he said.
Senator Usman Kakar of the PkMAP said there was a civil martial law in the country and his party’s struggle will continue against it. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said what happened in the Senate was sad. "We know who did not vote (in favour of the no-confidence motion)," he said. Zafarul Haq said that the opposition was aware by early Thursday morning as to how many votes the no-confidence motion would receive later in the day. "Mostly, people from a certain party ruined it. The forces that wished to save the Senate chairman emerged victor," he added.
