THATTA/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Thursday advised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to withdraw his remarks about Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore on March 24, Prime Minister Abbasi had urged members of the opposition in Upper House to nominate a new Senate chairman as, according to him, Sanjrani held no respect over being elected to the coveted post through ‘purchased votes’.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Thatta Carriageway Project, Bilawal said he considered the prime minister to be a responsible person. “I will only advise the prime minister to withdraw his remarks against the Senate chairman.”
Meanwhile, the PPP has decided to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Abbasi over his comments against Sanjrani.
The motion states that Sanjrani is the incumbent chairman of the Upper House and that demanding re-election on the seat is against the constitution. “The PM should apologise over his controversial remarks. And if he doesn’t apologise, then he must be prepared to face protests in both houses of parliament,” the motion stated.
PPP’s recently elected Leader of Opposition in Senate Sherry Rehman said she will protest against the prime minister’s remarks which had violated the sanctity of the House. She said that leaders of the ruling party constantly keep talking about the significance and value of the vote, yet keep on shooting their own stance to pieces by issuing such statements. She also termed the PM’s remarks a ‘disrespect’ to the parliament. Responding to former premier Nawaz Sharif’s recent admission regarding the Memogate scandal, Sherry Rehman said the ousted PM constantly keeps talking about a certain institution but fails to name it.
Published in Daily Times, March 30th 2018.
