Hectic lobbying leads to govt’s success in Senate

ISLAMABAD: During voting on various clauses of the Elections Bill 2017 and proposed amendments, hectic lobbying continued inside and outside the House on Friday.

However, at the eleventh hour, some senators left the House, including three senators of MQM leaving only Mian Ateeq Shaikh in the House, who voted for the key clause, facilitating Nawaz to again become PML-N head. MQM has eight senators in the House but today only four of them were present, and at the crucial time only one senator was left in the Senate.

“It was a win-win situation for us, though we lost the match by one vote, Nawaz will be back to lead PML-N,” commented PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Taj Haider while talking to The News. The PPP has 27 members in the Senate. He claimed, “initially, MQM was with the joint opposition but then they astonished all of us”. “Corruption has been glamorised today with this amendment, as NAB is after the Sharifs,” he claimed.

Three PPP senators were abroad: Abdul Rehman Malik, Osman Saifullah and Haji Saifullah Bangash while Gayanchand came for voting for the amendment, moved by Aitzaz. Haider alleged that the MQM senators "got some message from somewhere" and then left from the House. However, the tables were turned when to the surprise of joint opposition, eight senators from Fata decided to support the government on this critical occasion. Previously, they have been backing opposition’s moves in the House and remained neutral as well.

A PTI’s vocal senator, it was learnt, left the Parliament House in the middle. Similarly, Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour was also missing during the last sitting, while his party was part of the combined opposition. ANP has six senators in the House. PML-N’s bitter rival PML-Q continued supporting the opposition, though its Senators Rubina Irfan and Mushahid Hussain Sayed did not attend the proceedings.

A senator belonging to the opposition told this correspondent on the condition of not being named that the amendments proposed by the PPP and PTI could have been used against head of any political party. The approval of these amendments would have resulted in the collapse of political structure. He said, "We know this game and will never be part of it."

Comments

Unique home that sits on US-Canada border

Unique home that sits on US-Canada border TORONTO: Selling a home in two countries is proving to be a challenge for the owners as it requires security clearance from both Canada and the United States. A 1782 fixer-upper with thick granite walls, 1950s decor, and armed 24-hour security provided by both two big countries are one of the major attractions for the buyers. The almost 7,000-square-foot house, cut into five currently vacant apartments, is on a lot of less than a quarter-acre that, along with the building itself, straddles the border between Beebe Plain, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec. The structure that has an estimated rebuild cost of about $600,000, is on the market for $109,000. It's structurally sound but needs lots of work. An inside view shows tape on the floor upstairs to indicate which side belongs to Canada and the United States. The house was originally built by a merchant in order to facilitate sales to farmers in both Vermont and Quebec. It ...

Here is why PM Abbasi won’t go skydiving

Here is why PM Abbasi won’t go skydiving NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says he was fond of skydiving but now he is too old to undertake the adventure. Prime Minister who is currently in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly gave his first international media interview to the CNN. The interview was primarily based on Pakistan and US strained relations; however it ended on a rather amusing note when PM was asked about his interest in skydiving. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told that he is a pilot and stayed in the profession for over 40 years. PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi sitting in the rear cockpit of F-16 aircraft in full flying gear The prime minister talked about his love for adventures and skydiving in particular. Asked whether he would want to do it in future holidays or not, the premier answered that he has become old for this adventure. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who also owns a private airline ‘Air Blue’, become the prime...

Musharraf’s statement riddled with self-contradictions

Musharraf’s statement riddled with self-contradictions ISLAMABAD: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf triggered a national level debate when he alleged that the PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had masterminded the murders of Benazir Bhutto and her brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto. Musharraf quickly rose to his defence when the finger was pointed at him for the murder of Ms Bhutto. Mincing no words, he said Zardari and some powerful elements in Afghanistan (Hamid Karzai and TTP leader Baitullah Mehsood) were behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP leader was martyred in a gun and bomb attack at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007 while leaving the venue after addressing a rally. Musharraf appeared to be clear in his statements, but he may not have realised that it was riddled with self-contradictions, negating his own claims. The plain and simple fact is that being the president at that time he cannot absolve himself of his responsi...

Pakistan Daily Beast

Search This Blog