ISLAMABAD: The no-trust motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, tabled by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, has been rejected on Thursday.
A total of 100 senators, including Sanjrani, took part in the polling process. Senator Javed Abbasi was appointed the polling agent on behalf of the opposition, while Senator Nauman Wazir was appointed on behalf of the government.
50 votes were received in favour of the no-confidence motion while the opposition needed at least 53 votes for the resolution to be passed but fell just three votes short of victory.
The upper House took up the first-ever no-trust motions against its chairman and deputy chairman, both of them cannot chair the session according to the rules; hence President Arif Alvi had nominated Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to chair the session.
64 senators stood up in support of the motion to table the no-confidence resolution when Barrister Saif directed senators, who were in favour of the resolution, to stand on their seats.
The opposition nominated Javed Abbasi while members supporting Sanjrani nominated Noman Wazir as their polling agents.
The total number of Senate seats is 104. There are currently 103 senators as Ishaq Dar of the PML-N is yet to take oath.
After disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif, 13 senators were elected as independent candidates, including Mushahid Hussain Syed, Sabir Shah, Mehmood-ul-Hasan, Rana Maqbool, Asad Ashraf, Asif Kirmani, Asad Junejo, Musadiq Malik, Shaheen Khalid Butt, Nizhat Sadiq, Kamran Micheal, Shameem Afridi and Hafiz Abdul Kareem.
The PTI has 14 senators, and its ally, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) of which Sanjrani is a member, has eight. Seven senators from the erstwhile Fata are also with the ruling party. Its other allies include, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with five senators and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) with one senator each.
The PML-N has 30 senators, 17 of them were independents who had later joined the party. The PPP has 20, the NP has five, the JUI-F and the PkMAP have four each, the Jamaat-e-Islami has two and ANP has one.
Yesterday, Sanjrani refuted opposition’s demand of resigning from his post voluntarily and appears determined to fight till the end.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani after no-confidence resolution against him, tabled by the opposition, had been rejected.
During the telephonic conversation, the prime minister said, “You [Sadiq Sanjrani] has proved that the Upper House of the Parliament trust you.”
Many other leaders also greeted Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani on surviving the no-confidence motion.
On the occasion, the Senate chairman said that this only happened because of the blessings of almighty Allah. – NNI