After the shocking defeat in the election for the coveted slots of the Senate Chairman and Deputy Chairman, the high-ups of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have started mulling future strategy, including the long march and mass resginations, to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, and Maulana Fazlur Rahman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) held a telephonic conversation to discuss the political situation in the wake of the PDM candidates’ defeat in the election.
During the conversation, JUI-F chief Fazl said the joint opposition’s decision to organise a long march to Islamabad will not yield results without mass resignations. The top-tier leadership also discussed the causes behind the defeat in the elections for the top slots, especially the defection of their lawmakers who chose to vote for the PTI nominees.
They decided to launch an investigation and fix responsibility in the case.
On Friday, the government-backed candidates, Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Mohammad Afridi, emerged victorious in a hotly contested election. Sanjrani retained his office of chairman by defeating Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate Yousaf Raza Gilani 48-43, with Gilani’s seven votes rejected.
Mirza Mohammad Afridi of the opposition alliance PDM upset Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for the office of deputy chairman with 54 votes. Maulana Haideri received 44 votes. The Senate re-elected Sanjrani, who will be serving till March 2024.
