12 January 2005	Wednesday	01 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 11: Parliamentary leader of the PPP in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has thanked all members of the democratic opposition in the Senate for supporting him as opposition leader in the Upper House and invited the entire opposition to join hands in the Senate on common issues.

Mian Raza Rabbani also thanked the PPP chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, for nominating him for the slot of opposition leader in the Senate and expressed the hope that he would measure up to her expectations.

"I wish to thank all members of the democratic opposition in the Senate, including the PML-N, ANP, JWP, BNP(M), BNM, PkMAP and my own party for reposing confidence in me as their leader in the Upper House. It is only because of the confidence and trust reposed in me by all of them that it was possible for me to become the opposition leader in the Senate.

"I deem my nomination both as a great honour and a great responsibility. It will be my utmost endeavour to rise to the expectation of all those, who have reposed their trust in me.

Senate is the voice of the units of federation. The federating units have problems ranging from issues of provincial autonomy, to the NFC Award, water distribution, the deprivation of smaller provinces, to name only a few.

Together with my colleagues in the Senate we would address these and other issues of the federating units with seriousness of purpose and a belief that the strength of the country lies in the strength of its federating units.

"The opposition parties in the Senate have a formidable combined strength. While each opposition party holds a distinct view on national issues in accordance with its manifesto. There are also some critical national issues on which the entire opposition is united.

It will be my endeavour to take the entire opposition along in the Senate. I look forward to the understanding and cooperation of all opposition members." Mr Rabbani also thanked the Senate chairman for finally realizing the anomaly of the Upper House being without the opposition leader for an unprecedented long time. "By addressing this anomaly even though belatedly, a long-standing aberration has been removed."