ISLAMABAD -Senators of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along withtheir allies submitted a no-confidence resolution in the Senate secretariatagainst Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla.
PTI Senator Shibli Faraz told reporters that the resolution, submitted onFriday, is backed by at least 26 senators, which demanded Mandviwalla’sremoval.
The development comes days after senators of the opposition partiessubmitted a no-trust resolution against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani;PTI’s move is seen as a tit for tat response as Mandviwalla is backed byPakistan Peoples Party.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak Friday said that following theopposition’s step to remove Sanjrani, members of government had a meetingwith the prime minister.
“Our stance is that when they did not honour our votes [cast in favour ofSanjrani] and withdrew their support for the Senate chairman, we willwithdraw our support for the deputy chairman,” he explained.
Khattak said that Sanjrani had steered the Upper House of the parliamentwith dignity for the past one and a half year and there was no reason toremove him.
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The minister also denied allegations of horse trading and affirmed that15-20 members in the Senate are completely independent.
Responding to the no-confidence resolution against him, Senate DeputyChairman Mandviwalla said if members of the Senate think he should notremain in office, then he will step down happily.
He cited some senators as saying that they were “told to sign theresolution” declaring the move as a strange tradition that is not good forthe Senate.
Let it be known that the coalesced opposition has also agreed on the nameof Hasil Bazinjo to be the next Chairman Senate, however, a sittingChairman is to be removed first for which voting is poised to take place infew days subject to rules.