ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senator and an aspirant for the opposition leader’s office in the upper house of parliament, Azam Khan Swati, surprised all political parties on Tuesday by issuing a warning against those planning to move a no-confidence motion against newly elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

When contacted, a number of senators and politicians belonging to both government and opposition expressed their “surprise” over the statement while terming it “illogical” and without any background.

PTI information secretary Fawad Chaudhry said Mr Swati upon his inquiring told him that he had issued the statement as he had come to know that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been planning to table a no-trust motion against Mr Sanjrani. Mr Chaudhry said Mr Swati had even named a federal minister who had been contacting the senators to plan the move against the Senate chairman.

However, PML-N Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed termed it a “non-issue”, saying “nothing of this sort is in the offing”.

“This is absolutely a non-issue,” Mr Sayed said, adding that such a move was not even thinkable at a time when the new Senate had just been constituted and its first session was yet to be convened.

One of the opposition members termed Mr Swati’s statement an effort to appease the Senate chairman who was to make a decision about the new opposition leader in the Senate. He said the statement had been issued by Mr Swati three days after blaming the Senate chairman for violating the rules by accepting the nomination of PPP’s Sherry Rehman as the opposition leader before time. Mr Swati in his letter to the chairman had reproduced the concerned rules of the Senate, implying that the chairman had no knowledge of the Senate rules, he added.

In his statement, Mr Swati said the new Senate chairman had been elected by a majority of votes of the senators according to the Constitution and “there is no such provision to bring a no-trust motion against him.

“It is uncalled for and violation of the laws, norms, rules and Constitution,” the PTI senator said without elaborating the context.

“Anyone trying to tarnish the image of this sacred democratic institution will be taken to task,” he added.

Mr Swati, who had stated in the beginning of his statement that there was no such provision to bring the no-trust motion against the chairman, then himself quoted Article 53(7) of the Constitution stating “one can bring a resolution against the Senate chairman in the Senate to be removed by majority of the members”.

The PTI senator said: “However, once again, we assure our support to the worthy chairman unconditionally and any such move will be defeated Insha Allah with bigger majority.

“We all, regardless of our political party’s affiliation, will defend honour and dignity of the upper house and of the Senate chairman and will not make him a laughing stock and any such move with nefarious design will be defeated on the floor of the house.’’

Expressing her surprise over Mr Swati’s statement, Sherry Rehman, the other contender for the opposition leader’s slot, said he had issued it with some motive perhaps.

The PPP senator, who had already submitted her nomination for the office of the opposition leader with the signatures of 33 senators, told Dawn that disinformation was being spread about the Senate procedures. She said the PPP had submitted everything by the book. She explained that they had received a letter from the Senate chairman on March 15, asking them to show their support within seven days i.e. by March 22. “We submitted our majority by close of business,” she said.

The race for the office of the Senate opposition leader had taken an interesting turn last week when the PTI claimed to have support of some of the senators on the list submitted by the PPP’s contender. The PTI alleged that Ms Rehman had submitted her nomination to the Senate chairman before time which, according to it, amounted to violation of rules.

Mr Chaudhry claimed that the PPP and PTI had 20 members in the Senate and the independent senators from the Federally Adminis­tered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Balochistan were yet to make a decision. He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamaat-i-Islami had assured their support to his party.

However, Ms Rehman said all the senators had voluntarily supported her nomination. She said the PPP was the largest opposition party in the Senate and, therefore, it had the right to get the opposition leader’s office.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2018