Tag: Yusuf Raza Gilani

  • PPP wants Yusuf Raza Gillani as Chairman Senate

    PPP wants Yusuf Raza Gillani as Chairman Senate

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has made a decisive move in selecting former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as its nominee for the position of Senate chairman.

    Gilani, who recently resigned from the Senate and subsequently took oath as a member of the National Assembly, has emerged as the party’s top choice for the role of Chairman Senate.

    Despite the resignation, PPP leadership remains steadfast in their decision regarding Gilani’s candidacy for the Senate chairmanship, according to a report by The News on Saturday.

    The Bilawal Bhutto-led party is actively consulting its legal and political experts to determine the most appropriate path for Gilani’s re-election to the Senate.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled Senate by-elections for March 14 to fill vacant seats, but the timetable for the upcoming main Senate elections, due to the retirement of half the senators on March 11, has not yet been announced.

    PPP insiders reveal that the party’s legal team is weighing the options available for Gilani’s return to the Senate, whether through the by-election or the subsequent Senate elections for a six-year term.

    The final decision, expected within a day or two, will hinge on the advice of PPP lawyers, who will obtain nomination papers for the Senate by-election on the seat vacated by Gilani.

    If approved by the party leadership, Gilani will file his nomination for the Senate by-election from Islamabad, the constituency he won after resigning from the Senate.

    However, this course of action may change if PPP leadership opts for Gilani to contest the main Senate elections instead.

    Sources within the PPP also indicate that Gilani remains a top contender for the Senate chairman position, with details of his candidacy finalized in coordination with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Gilani has entrusted the decision to PPP’s top leadership.

    If elected as Senate chairman, Gilani would achieve a unique distinction, having served in the top three constitutional posts in the country: Speaker of the National Assembly, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Chairman of the Senate.

    While Gilani previously contested the Senate chairman election in 2021, he narrowly missed out on victory after seven of his votes were deemed invalid, leading to the election of Senator Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman.

    He won the seat of the National Assembly in general elections which was contested by his rival. On February 11, after the recount in National Assembly constituency NA-148, the number of votes obtained by the former PM increased.

    Upon the request of Independent candidate Barrister Taimur Malik, the process of verification of Form 45 was carried out in the RO office.
    Resultantly, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani secured victory with 67,377 votes, while Taimur Malik remained runner-up with 67,047 votes. According to Form 47, Gilani had defeated Taimur Malik by a lead of 293 votes previously in the first count. After recounting, Gilani’s lead increased to 330 votes.

  • Aap Imran Khan ko hataayeinge, kaisay khud reh paayeinge, asks Fawad

    Aap Imran Khan ko hataayeinge, kaisay khud reh paayeinge, asks Fawad

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that if Imran Khan in any way gets disqualified, then those those who make this decision should think how will they survive.

    “It is for those who can disqualify Imran, not for the PTI, to think that how would they survive (in their positions) if they oust Imran Khan,” said Chaudhry on HUM News.

    “Pakistan is at the edge of revolution. If a judgement is given against Imran Khan Sahib, the people of Pakistan will decide the fate,” said Chaudhry.

    Fawad said that when Bhutto was ousted out of power, he was not at the peak of his popularity. But on the contrary, massive public support is with Imran Khan today.

    Speaking on another political programme aired on Dunya News, Chaudhry said that he found a commonality in the cases of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Yusuf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, as all these leaders had lost their popularity among the masses when they were ousted.

    “Imran Khan is at the pinnacle of his popularity. No one can afford that politics in Pakistan runs without him,” said Chaudhry. When the anchorperson asked Fawad if he means that the courts cannot penalise a popular leader, Fawad said they could not punish (a popular leader) in political cases. His comments were in relevance to the contempt of court case against Khan.

    The anchorperson told Fawad that the courts had convicted popular leaders like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Talal Chaudhry and Nehal Hashmi, Fawad advised the anchor against comparing Imran Khan with the likes of Talal or Nehal.

  • PPP’s Gilani becomes leader of house in Senate

    PPP’s Gilani becomes leader of house in Senate

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani has taken charge as the leader of the House in the Senate today (Monday).

    Earlier, Gilani contested for the slot of Senate chairman against Sadiq Sanjrani but lost. Gilani has been appointed to fill the slot by the current PM Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem will now become the leader of the Opposition.

    The National Assembly (NA) session has resumed today and it has been indicated that a resolution of condemnation against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for using obnoxious language against Maryam Nawaz in his Multan rally would be tabled in the two houses separately by women lawmakers.

    According to The News that PM Shehbaz Sharif will avail the sitting of the upper house to make an important policy statement on the political and economic situation in the country.

    In January, Gilani stepped down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after his absence led to the passage of the State Bank (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the Upper House of Parliament.

  • VIDEO: ‘Gilani is a bika hua siyasatdaan,’ Shah Mahmood Qureshi warns Senate

    VIDEO: ‘Gilani is a bika hua siyasatdaan,’ Shah Mahmood Qureshi warns Senate

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the Senate lashed out at Leader of the Opposition Yusuf Raza Gilani.

    “I said it yesterday and I am saying it today, he [Gilani] said that I don’t want to be Leader of the Opposition, he was lying. He will stay, he will take back his resignation. He will stick to this chair. This was all a drama,” said Qureshi.

    Qureshi said, “I am warning you, honourable members of the Senate, listen and pay attention to what I am saying. Members of the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition is a compromised leader. Don’t rely on him.”

    “Don’t you see a seasoned and respected parliamentarian like Raza Rabbani? Don’t you see a respected politician like Sherry Rehman sitting in your rows? He [Gilani] is compromised and a sellout,” said Qureshi.

    On Monday, Gilani announced that he had submitted his resignation as Leader of the Opposition to his party. “In the end, I will say that I have already submitted my resignation to my party that I don’t want to be the Leader of the Opposition.”

  • Zardari, Nawaz, Maulana have all been ruined by one man: Saleem Safi

    Zardari, Nawaz, Maulana have all been ruined by one man: Saleem Safi

    Senior journalist Saleem Khan Safi, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said that there was one man who had ruined the politics for many in Pakistan. Safi was giving his analysis on the recent Senate fiasco after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 was passed on January 28.

    “Zaradri, Nawaz Sharif aur Maulana sub ki siyasat ko aik banday nay fail kar diya hai [One man has led to the failure of Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s politics],” Safi said alluding to Chairman of Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.

    Safi went on to say that what happened in Senate on January 28 was a collective failure. “This is the failure of the Opposition that they could not devise a joint strategy against the government. This Opposition does not carry the traits of the Opposition. This entire matter was part of the script. It started with Yusuf Raza Gilani becoming the Leader of the Opposition, to the passing of various bills. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was the mastermind behind it all and he was the one who devised this script.”

    “Sanjrani is our friend and a respected man. There was a time when he was in charge of the complaint cell in Gilani’s government. Giani played a role in the script prepared by Bilawal and former president Asif Ali Zardari. I will consider Gilani’s resignation as part of the script as well,” added Safi.

    Senior journalist Fahd Husain, who also was part of the panel on the show, said, “This is very obvious that the Opposition was given a clear message that they will not block the [SBP Amendment] bill.”

    Agreeing with Safi, Husain said that how the events unfolded themselves makes it very obvious that everything that happened was pre-planned. “The way all this happened and the way the people went missing, they did not turn up, I will say that this was done in a rather crude manner. The Opposition should have taken advantage of this scenario and should have said that the government got the bill passed in an illegitimate manner, they [Opposition] have now got all this on themselves.”

    Husain further said that what happened in the Senate cannot be fully put on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He said that the mistrust built between Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP over Yusuf Raza Gilani becoming the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is still there and we are witnessing history repeating itself.

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada asked Safi if the Opposition was a threat to the government. Safi said that the entire fuss of the Opposition was mainly to prove that they actually are the Opposition. Just like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), all this suits the PPP. If early elections take place, the PPP is of the view that they might not get to rule Sindh as well. “All these marches are just tactics to prove themselves as the Opposition,” said Safi.

    “They [Oppostion] have not devised a concrete methodology towards their policies. We are ignoring the role of Sadiq Sanjrani in all this. If Zardari wants to rule completely, he should make Sanjrani chairman instead of Bilawal. If PDM wants success, they should make Sanjrani their leader,” said Safi.

  • Bilawal declines Gilani’s resignation as Leader of Opposition Senate

    Bilawal declines Gilani’s resignation as Leader of Opposition Senate

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has refused to accept his party leader Yusuf Raza Gilani’s resignation as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

    The party chairman said that Gilani has given exemplary services for democracy in the country. Bilawal Bhutto also backed the PPP leader’s statements and expressed his regret over the role of Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani in the passing of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill, 2021 by calling the act “in connivance with the government”, reports Geo News.

    Moreover, Bilawal said that the PPP is the only political party in which the elected representatives present themselves for accountability.

    Yesterday, Gilani said that he had handed over his resignation to his party after he received criticism for being absent from a key Senate session.

    Gilani took the mic in the Upper House on Monday and condemned the biasness shown by the chairman Senate. He said, “In the history of Pakistan Senate, it was the first time the Chairman Senate had to give a vote. As a neutral person, you should have not done this. As the custodian of the House, you should have protected the rights of both sides of the House.”

    On January 28, the Leader of the Opposition was absent when the government passed the SBP amendment bill in the Senate. He said that he had received the agenda of the House only a few hours before the session and it was not possible for him to travel in such a short period of time.

  • PPP’s Gilani resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after absence from key session

    PPP’s Gilani resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after absence from key session

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani announced in the Senate today that he has handed over his resignation to his party (PPP) as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

    Gilani’s statement comes after his absence from the Senate on January 28 when the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 was passed.

    Addressing Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjarai, Gilani said, “When the voting happened [on January 28], you adjourned the session for 30 minutes, which means you facilitated the government, not the Opposition. During the first round, the majority was of the Opposition. When the House assembled again for the vote, there was a tie.”

    “In the history of Pakistan Senate, it was the first time the Chairman senate had to give a vote. As a neutral person, you should have not done this. As the custodian of the House, you should have protected the rights of both sides of the House,” said Gilani.

    “The role of the Speaker and Chairman Senate has to be totally neutral. They cannot be biased in any way.”

    “I am not astonished by the harsh words of my opponents but I am astonished by the silence of my well-wishers. There are few ministers, if they would have said something [of this sort], it would have been an honour for me. But those who don’t have credibility, are turncoats, are saying that I helped the government. I am saying by your vote they won. At least the credit should be given to you [Sanjrani], not to me ke dhandali ho rahi hai [there is rigging]. There should be no rigging.”

    “In the end, I will say that I have already submitted my resignation to my party that I don’t want to be the Leader of the Opposition,” said Gilani.

    It is pertinent to mention here that it was Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Dr Musadik Malik, who first pointed out the absence of Gilani from the Senate the day the SBP Amendment Bill 2021 was passed amid an outcry from the Opposition on suffering back-to-back defeats in the House, where it otherwise enjoys a dominating numerical strength.

    Taking to Twitter Malik said, “Leader of the Opposition Yusuf Raza Gilani is missing. One vote, i.e. of Mr Gilani, is missing and the bill to make Pakistan a slave of the IMF was passed. And those who made him Leader of the Opposition voted for the government.”

    Gilani later appeared on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, and said that he had not received the agenda of the Senate till 1am of the night between January 27 to January 28.

    Speaking about his absence from the Senate as SBP Amendment Bill 2021 got passed, Gilani said, “It was humanly impossible for me to reach in six hours to Islamabad.”

    “If and when can’t make history. There were a lot of honorable members who were missing. I will question the Dilawar Khan group as to why they voted in favour of the government. The Dilawar group was pressurised to vote for the government.”

    Speaking on Dilawar Khan group, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani said, “The parties in the Opposition must carry out a purge of the soft-at-heart members and those senators who sit on the Opposition benches but vote for the treasury.”

    “Friday (January 28) was a collective day of shame for the parliament, in particular the Senate, when it passed a document of surrender, a document which financially makes Pakistan a colony of the international donors and imperialists,” said Rabbani.

    PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar regretted that there was a group of people who sat on the Opposition benches but never voted for the Opposition on crucial occasions. He said these people came to the Opposition’s fold when they want to get some benefits and then they vote for the government to get benefits from it as well.

  • PPP’s Gilani says he couldn’t reach Islamabad in time so had to miss important senate session

    PPP’s Gilani says he couldn’t reach Islamabad in time so had to miss important senate session

    Leader of the Opposition in Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said that he had not received the agenda of the Senate till 1 AM of the night between January 27 to January 28.

    Speaking about his absence from the Senate on Friday as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 got passed, Gilani said, “It was humanly impossible for me to reach in six hours to Islamabad.”

    “If and when can’t make history. There were a lot of honorable members who were missing. I will question the Dilawar Khan group as to why they voted in favour of the government. The Dilawar group was pressurised to vote for the government.”

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada negated Gilani’s comments on the Dilawar Khan group and said that the group says the Opposition failed to convince them for support. The government succeeded in doing so.

    Khanzada questioned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Dr Musadik Malik, who was part of the guest panel on the programme about his tweet where Malik questioned Gilani’s absence and had said that one vote, i.e. of Mr Gilani was missing and the bill to make Pakistan a slave of the IMF was passed. And those who made him Leader of the Opposition voted for the government.

    “It was very important that Gilani should have been part of the panel today. He is our very respected leader. But was very clear that the bill was been circulated by the government for the past 10 days and circulated amongst the members of the Senate. We were aware that the government had not placed the bill. We were already aware that the IMF was holding this session on February 2,” said Malik.

    “Before February 2, today [January 28] was the only day the government could have done something. If all members of the Opposition were present as respected Gilani Sahib says he did ask them to, we would have had the support and respect in the Senate if Gilani Sahib would have tried and shown up,” added Malik.

    On January 25, the Senate session was adjourned for Friday, January 28.

    The SBP Amendment Bill, 2021, promises complete autonomy to the central bank and places a complete restriction on the government’s borrowing from the central bank. However, the government can now borrow at a market rate from commercial banks, which will benefit private banks owned by business elites, according to the Opposition.

    The bill was passed by a majority vote. Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani then adjourned the session till January 31.