ISLAMABAD: In a rare happening, PTI Senator Saifullah Abro was on Tuesday removed as the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Power through a no-trust vote.

The motion of no confidence, submitted under Senate Rules, garnered unanimous support, leading to Senator Abro’s removal from the position.

The motion against Senator Abro was put forth by a coalition of senators, including Bahramand Khan Tangi, Manzoor Kakar, Sana Jamali, Hafiz Abdul Karim, and Dilawar Khan.

The meeting, convened at the Parliament House and chaired by Additional Secretary Hafeezullah Sheikh, witnessed unanimous election of Senator Azam Nazir Tarar as the new chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Power.

Saifullah Abro ousted through no-trust vote, replaced by PML-N’s Azam Tarar

Senator Tarar had previously served as the law minister and Leader of the House in the Senate.

Among the notable attendees at the meeting were Senators Azam Nazir Tarar, Saifullah Abro, Saifullah Khan Niazi, Haji Hidayatullah, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Sana Jamali, Dilawar Khan, Haji Hidayatullah, Muhammad Ali Shah Jamot and Fida Muhammad.

“Their participation signifies the collective commitment to the Senate’s functions and responsibilities. This transition in the leadership marks a pivotal moment in the committee’s direction and promises a renewed focus on addressing crucial energy-related matters in the country,” a press release issued by the Senate Secretariat said.

The move came a day after the Senate panel, headed by Mr Abro, found fault with the procurement of foreign multilateral-funded projects in the power sector and ordered the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak) not to sign the final agreement with a local firm because of suspicious circumstances.

The committee observed that Newage Cable was given domestic preferences on the basis of an outdated letter issued way back in 2015, which was valid only for six months, putting the whole procurement process in doubt.

The committee, after deliberation at length, unanimously resolved that the matter should be taken up with the ADB and Nespak, in consultation with the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), should send a note to the ADB and inform them of the letter based on which the contractors were technically qualified.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023