Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari went to see Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday.
لاہور: پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی گلبرک میں چوہدری برادران کی رہائش گاہ آمد
لاہور: چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی مسلم لیگ قائداعظم کے مرکزی صدر چوہدری شجاعت حسین اور پنجاب کے صدر چوہدری پرویز الہی سے ملاقات@BBhuttoZardaripic.twitter.com/CrvnSzEUsF
Reports suggested that apart from inquiring after his health, Bhutto-Zardari asked the Chaudhrys for their support in the upcoming elections for chairman Senate.
However, PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi has denied these reports in a tweet.
No such thing happened. @BBhuttoZardari did not ask for support in senate and nor did we offer. He came to inquire about Shujat Sb’s health for which are are grateful. pic.twitter.com/66WACDHWFD
Geo News anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal tweeted to Moonis Elahi that this news was confirmed by Tariq Bashir Cheema in his show Naya Pakistan and a press release was also issued by the PML-Q saying that Chaudhry Shujaat said we have committed our allies for senate chairman vote.
@MoonisElahi6 This is was confirmed by Tariq Bashir sb in our show and a press release was also issued by ur Party saying that Ch Shujaat said we have committed our allies for senate chairman vote https://t.co/9PX38LyB11
Speaking exclusively to The Current, Moonis Elahi said: “Yes, we are committed to our allies, but Bilawal did not ask for our vote nor did he come there seeking it. If he was seeking it, I am sure he would have brought the candidate along.”
Yousaf Raza Gilani, who defeated Minister for Finance Hafeez Sheikh in the recent Senate polls, has been nominated by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as its joint candidate for Senate chairman. PDM decided this today in a meeting chaired by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The elections for Senate chairman will be held on March 12 and will be done through secret balloting.
On the other hand, the government has announced the candidature of Sadiq Sanjrani as its nominee for Senate chairman.
Prime Minister Ìmrañ Khan has announced Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate Chairmanship.
After Gilani’s surprise win in the Senate, PM Khan sought a vote of confidence in the National Assembly andwon on Saturday. Needing the support of 172 MPs in the 342-seat House to retain its confidence, the prime minister secured 178 votes.
In August 2019, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani survived a no-confidence move tabled against him by the joint opposition. The opposition’s no-trust motion against Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal even though at the start of the session, 64 senators had stood up in support of the motion.
Hina Butt has lashed out at Muhammad Hafeez for congratulating Prime Minister Imran Khan and calling his Vote of Confidence a “Masterstroke”.
Responding to Hafeez’s tweet the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Butt said: “Pakistan was ridiculed in the world for not following corona SOPs and now you are supporting a vote thief.”
“It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut and do not comment on politics,” she added.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Saturday won the crucial confidence vote in the National Assembly, hanging on to power after his finance adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh lost the high-stakes Senate seat election earlier in the week. After PM’s victory, many celebrities took to their social media tocongratulate him. Other celebrities who congratulated Khan included Waqar Younis, Gohar Rasheed, Haroon Shahid, Fahad Mirza, Shaan and Feroze Khan.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Saturday won the crucial confidence vote in the National Assembly, hanging on to power after his finance adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh lost the high-stakes Senate seat election earlier in the week.
Needing the support of 172 MPs in the 342-seat House to retain its confidence, the prime minister secured 178 votes. PTI has 157 members in the House.
Historic announcement for #PrimeMinisterImranKhan by Speaker Asad Qaiser. With 178 votes, PM wins the Vote of Confidence in National Assembly. Congratulations Pakistan, Insaf Won! Chants of Wazeer e Azam Imran Khan heard from Parliament to D Chowk now. #ہو_گئی_انصاف_کی_جیتpic.twitter.com/YsQeeEeTN1
The session began at 12:15 pm with a single-point agenda to reaffirm confidence in Imran, according to a National Assembly Secretariat statement.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tabled the resolution in the House. The resolution reads: “That this House reposes confidence in the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Imran Khan, as required under clause (7) of Article 91 of the Constitution Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) March 5, 2021
MPs arrived at the Parliament House while scores of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) activists and supporters and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders gathered outside.
Before the session began, Punjab and Balochistan chief ministers Usman Buzdar and Jam Kamal Khan, Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and other officials met in Speaker Asad Qaiser’s chamber, where they discussed the vote of confidence.
The prime minister had decided to take the vote on Wednesday (March 3) following the Senate elections wherein his party faced the unexpected defeat of Sheikh.
After Pakistan Democratic Movement’s candidate Yousuf Raza Gilaniemerged victorious against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the Senate Elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan in an address to the nation announced that he is going to seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Saturday. The premier said the vote of confidence will be held through the show of hand and that he will have no objection if any member of his party does not trust him, adding that his party would sit on opposition benches if they lose this time.
Following his decision to seek a vote of confidence, celebrities including Shaan Shahid, Rohail Hyatt, Imran Abbas and Omair Rana have extended their support for the prime minister.
“Whether you are in power or in opposition, the voice of truth, the voice of the people of Pakistan will always be spoken by you,” said Shaan. “Some battles lost cannot predict the outcome of the war.”
“May you win the war of truth, honesty, hope and justice,” he added.
@ImranKhanPTI whether you are in power or in opposition the voice of truth ,the voice of the people of Pakistan will always be spoken by you..some battles lost cannot predict the out come of the war may you win the war of truth honesty ,hope & justice #pakistanhameshaZindabadpic.twitter.com/RTdpIHwZjZ
Ace musician Rohail Hyatt expressed his faith in PM Khan said: “In my lifetime I have only had the privilege of calling one person my leader. This person is Imran Khan.”
“Honestly outweighs everything else IMO. Setbacks aside, I am certain he will succeed in his mission IA,” he added.
In my lifetime I have only had the privilege of calling one person my leader. This person is Imran Khan. Honestly outweighs everything else IMO. Setbacks aside, I am certain he will succeed in his mission IA.
Hyatt further said that he got his “yess moment” after watching PM Khan’s address to the nation.
OMG I got my yesssss moment after watching your speech today @ImranKhanPTI ! Say no to corruption and get ready for a fight! Enough is really enough! What a brave leader you are indeed With you all the way..#ImranKhan#ImranKhanMyPM
Omair Rana of Pyar Ke Sadkay fame lauded PM Khan’s decision of taking the vote of confidence saying: “To hide behind a hypocrite one has to be smaller than him. Imran Khan is too big for these sell-outs and buyouts.”
“With you my Captain,” he added.
To hide behind a hypocrite one has to be smaller than him. @ImranKhanPTI is too big for these sell outs and buy outs. With you my Captain! https://t.co/uy0ysWdkeY
Whether you have 10 followers or 10,000! We all matter because we all have a VOICE. Support each other Insafians and do not let anyone let you believe otherwise about Imran Khan being the best option for Pakistan currently. He needs us united. That is his #VoteOfConfidence
Tomorrow @ImranKhanPTI will have clear majority in the parliament, but thats not the point.Till when are we going to depend on a system like this,Corrupt to the core.People who can do anything for money are in parliament and we know it and worst thing we as nation are ok with it!
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a statement rejecting the “discussion and unhappiness” over the way Senate polls were conducted.
“It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same [election] under the same roof on the same day, [what they won] is acceptable and [what they lost] is unacceptable. Is this not [an] open contradiction?” questioned the commission.
A day earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had criticised the election watchdog for allowing “foul play” in the elections for the upper house of the parliament.
“The ECP rejects this,” Friday’s statement added. “This is democracy and free elections and the beauty of free elections which the entire nation saw and which is mandated by the Constitution.”
Every political party and politician should have the courage to accept its defeat, it said.
The electoral body said that if someone disagreed with the ECP’s results, they should come forward with evidence.
“We have neither come under pressure from anybody and neither will we [do so in the future].”
The ECP’s statement came after an urgent meeting was convened following the premier’s accusations.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that he is going to seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly this week, adding that his party would sit on opposition benches if they lose this time.
He was addressing the national a day after his party’s Abdul Hafeez Shaikh faced defeat on the critical Senate seat from Islamabad despite PTI and its ally parties’ majority in the lower house of the parliament.
The premier said that that the opposition wanted to threaten him with the no-confidence motion after defeating Shaikh in order to get NRO-like concession. Saying vote of confidence will be held through show-off hand, the premier said that he will have no objection if any member of his party does not trust him.
Highlighting that some of his party’s lawmakers have sold their votes to ensure the victory of PDM’s joint candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani, he said that such elements should have fear of God.
PM Imran also questioned the role of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Senate election. He accused the Commission of damaging the democracy in the country by supporting secret balloting for Senate polls. “The ECP was informed about the horse-trading beforehand but it did not take any action,” he said.
He said that the ECP provided an opportunity of horse-trading to the opposition, adding that the institution has failed to hold fair and transparent elections.
Hitting out at opposition parties, the premier said that all the opposition parties in the past were calling for holding Senate polls through an open ballot but they stepped back when the government tried to make legislation in this regard. He said that such moves made the character of opposition parties doubtful.
Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday emerged victorious against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
After the result was announced, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the former prime minister shook hands and hugged each other.
The news of Hafeez’s defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi — who was the minister’s polling agent — following which the two men embraced each other.
Gilani secured 169 votes while Shaikh received 164 votes. Out of the total number of 341 votes, 6 were rejected and 1 was not polled.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz celebrated the win in their tweets.
Democracy is the best revenge. Jeya Bhutto!
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) March 3, 2021
PMLN MNAs not only stood by MNS and made him proud, they also celebrated the success & vindication. Alhamdolillah! What scenes ! pic.twitter.com/SVs2y0BVqN
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 3, 2021
Nawaz Sharif also tweeted, congratulating Gilani on the win.
My sincerest felicitations to Mr. Yousuf Raza Gilani on his glorious victory in the Senate elections.
PTI’s Shaukat Yousafzai also called a press conference, asking who voted for Gilani and alleged that money had a role to play. He also questioned the veracity of the results.
The votes were done by secret ballot and it will be difficult for the government to determine who voted for whom.
As the country witnesses what are being termed by pundits as the “most controversial” Senate polls in its 74-year history, it has emerged that joint opposition’s candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen days before the critical electoral process marred by horse-trading allegations.
Sources claim that Gilani, who is the Upper House candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from Islamabad besides being a critical election for the opposition to give the ruling PTI a tough time, met Tareen at the wedding of another ruling party lawmaker’s son.
Interestingly, both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart and Tareen, who reports claim is at odds with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government since after the sugar crisis scandal, have over the days leading to the Senate elections denied having met each other.
“I have always strived for the PTI with my heart and soul and my support is always for the party,” Tareen was quoted as saying when he denied the meeting of which The Current also has photographic evidence.
The former premier, on the other hand, had also refuted speculation that he met Tareen. “I have neither met Jahangir Tareen neither established contact with him,” he had told media persons on the same day as the PTI leader.
“The two spent quite a lot of time at the wedding of veteran politician and PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana’s son on February 11. They exchanged pleasantries and were seen dining together on top of spending almost all their time at the event with each other,” sources told The Current.
Sources, however, could not confirm the topics of discussion between the two leaders from rival parties and if then-forthcoming Senate polls or Gilani’s election, in particular, were among the things discussed between Gilani and Tareen.
While Tareen and Gilani could not be reached out for a comment, another attendee of the said event, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has confirmed the encounter.
Speaking to The Current, Sadiq said that Fatyana has good relations in each and every party and he had known the now PTI and former PML-N leader since the year 2000.
“We have been colleagues since 2002. At his son’s wedding, I was the only MNA from PML-N. Gilani Sahib was the only one from PPP during the one hour I was there. If others came later, I have no idea. But there was no discussion on the issue of Senate at all.”
While Sadiq did confirm Tareen’s presence and exchange of pleasantries between the politicians, he said that he did not notice any interaction between Gilani and Tareen for as long as he himself was there.
A contest for the crucial Islamabad seat in the Senate is currently underway between Gilani and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. The vote count is scheduled to begin at 5 pm.
Speaking to the media while in the Parliament to cast his vote in the ongoing Senate polls, Sharif said: “Every member will vote as per his/her conscience…we hope that the Election Commission will ensure transparency in polls.”
When asked how hopeful he was of a [PDM] win, Sharif replied: “I am not a najoomi [fortune teller],” adding that the government’s incompetence is out there for the world to see.
Sharif, who is in custody, was released on production orders in order to cast his vote in the Senate Elections. He also presided over a parliamentary party meeting of the PML-N.
