ISLAMABAD - Former President Asif Ali Zardari is optimistic to give another surprise to the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf-led government in the Senate chairman’s election today (March 12). Close aides of the PPP supremo told The Nation that Zardari had contacted his allies and told them to ‘relax’ as the Pakistan Democratic Movement had a fair chance of winning the top Senate slots.

PPP Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira said the PDM candidates had a clear edge unless there is ‘rigging.’

“The opposition has more members and should win in a fair election. Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are in contact with the party leaders and allies to ensure PDM’s win,” he told The Nation.

Zardari and Bilawal, he said, were optimistic about the PDM’s victory in the Senate as the opposition had the numbers. PDM has nominated newly-elected PPP Senator Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani as joint candidate for the Senate chairman election while Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) will contest election of deputy chairman as the PDM candidate.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has nominated Sadiq Sanjrani for chairmanship of the upper house of parliament as the ruling party’s candidate. Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi is the government’s candidate for the slot of deputy chairman Senate.

Yesterday, PDM candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani said that it appeared that establishment was neutral and hoped that it will remain neutral.

Speaking to journalists here, Gillani expressed confidence that opposition will win elections for Senate top positions and said that arrangements had been made to stop horse-trading.

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Maryam Nawaz, in a tweet, claimed that Senators of opposition were being pressured not to vote for PDM candidate in elections of Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate. She said that some of the Senators, who received that calls had recorded the evidence.

Separately yesterday, PPP leaders Shazia Atta Marri, Faisal Karim Kundi and Abdul Qadir Patel said that opposition senators were receiving threatening telephone calls and the government had lost all ethics to succeed in the Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections. 

 

At a joint news conference here, they said that the vote of confidence by the Prime Minister was illegal and unconstitutional. “Prime Minister was the only one in that race and he came first,” said Shazia Marri.

 

She said the PDM had already won in the election and the numbers and ethics both were with the PDM candidates. 

 

“The Prime Minister must not involve institutions in politics. The government is perplexed in this election like it was in the Senate elections on March 3,” she added. 

 

Faisal Karim Kundi said that elections were won by law and constitution and not by tactics. “PPP has taken serious note of the statement of information minister Shibli Faraz. Attempts will be carried out to harm our members. The government is frightened of Yousuf Raza Gillani because he was a popular Prime Minister (from 2008-12). The PTI even doesn’t have its own candidates,” he said.

 

Kundi said the PPP had full confidence in its allies and all of them will vote for PDM candidates. “We are sure the independent and Jamaat-e-Islami will vote for PDM candidates,” he added.

 

Abdul Qadir Patel hey said that the government was planning to impose new taxes on the poor people of Pakistan who are already facing record price-hike in commodities and increase in utility bills. “The PDM will liberate the people of Pakistan from the tyranny of the PTI,” he contended. 

 

Meanwhile, PPP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that the choice of candidates of chairman and deputy chairman Senate of the government showed that the PTI was not a political party.

 

In a statement, Senator Khokhar said that the PTI could not keep any position in the Senate despite being the largest party in the Senate. 

 

“It is also proven that the PTI is a group of people having totally different species. It will be a scene to watch that PTI Senators will be voting for someone else’s candidate. Imran Khan does not have respect for this party but the creators of PTI should have valued it,” he maintained. 

 

Later, PPP leader Saeed Ghani announced the PPP will take part in the PDM long march and will also observe Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s death anniversary at the D-Chowk.

 

“We will not only take part in the PDM long march but will observe Bhutto’s death anniversary here,” he said in a television programme.