Senate no-confidence vote: Shahbaz, Bilawal form committees to find betrayers

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have formed committees to probe as to who betrayed their parties and voted against the no-confidence motion against Senate Chairman Sajiq Sanjrani.

Shahbaz Sharif said in a meeting with the party senators that strict action will be taken against the party senators involved in defection in favour of the Senate chairman during secret ballot on no-confidence motion in the Upper House.

The meeting was attended by senators Raja Zafarul Haq, Mushahidullah Khan, Dr Asif Kirmani, Javed Abbasi and others. The meeting discussed possible reasons including pressure tactics and horse-trading behind change of loyalties.

Shahbaz while expressing concerns over the situation said that the situation demanded that all the opposition parties chalk out plan of action and identify such elements in their party set up. “Some senators from the opposition parties compromised on their respect and dignity of the Senate, while selling out their conscience,” he said.

Meanwhile, some lists of senators belonging to the PML-N, PPP and JUI-F who allegedly defected, are circulating on social media. However, none of the parties sources are confirming these names.

Senator Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum has strongly condemned inclusion of his name in the fake list. “This might be act of those who stabbed the party in the back,” he said.

Terming August 01 as black day in history of the Senate of Pakistan, he also demanded the PML-N leadership to investigate into the whole matter.

Bilawal has also formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the failure of the no-confidence motion against Sadiq Sanjrani to expose those who betrayed the party. The fact-finding committee comprises former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani, Farhatullah Babar, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Saeed Ghani and Sabir Baloch.

Bilawal directed the committee to examine the failure of the no-trust motion of the opposition against the Senate chairman and present its report to him with fixing responsibility as well as reasons of the failure. The fact finding committee will also make recommendations about the resignations already submitted by party senators to Bilawal.

Farhatullah Babar said Bilawal expressed deep disappointment with horse-trading in the Senate and decided to try to get to the bottom of it, expose those who played a dirty role, find out why the joint opposition was unable to remove Sadiq Sanjrani despite being in majority and to punish any party senator if found guilty of defection and violating party discipline.

Meanwhile, Chairman Senate’s Committee on Interior Rehman Malik has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to trace the origin of fake lists of the senators on social media who allegedly sold their conscience in the no-confidence vote against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and voted against party lines.

Three different fake lists are circulating on the social media containing name of senators who allegedly violated the discipline of their respective parties.

Rehman Malik stated that the circulation of list falls under fake news published under cyber-crime.

“I have directed the FIA/PTA to trace the origin of the fake lists to defame senators on social media,” he said. Rehman Malik said he hoped that all those promoting fake news will be punished according to Pakistan law and international law under UNO Charter. “People must not promote fake news as it is morally and legally wrong,” he stated.