A delegation comprising representatives of the ruling PTI and allied parties paid a “solidarity” visit to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Friday, two days after a multi-party conference (MPC) attended by nearly all opposition parties decided to adopt a constitutional way for his removal.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting alongside Sanjrani, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza said they had called on the Senate chairman in order to “strengthen his hands [and] for solidarity”.
She said the government and allied parties’ members were of the view that Sanjrani was managing the Senate “in a totally neutral and impartial manner which is the role of a chairman Senate or speaker”.
Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Mirza said the government members had, in fact, reservations that Sanjrani was giving “excessive” time to the opposition members in the upper house.
She acknowledged, however, that it was the discretion of the person in the chair to allocate time to parliamentarians, to which Sanjrani added: “The [chairman] knows what the conditions are down on the floor.”
The Senate chairman further said he has managed the upper house in a “completely balanced” manner.
Asked to comment on the opposition’s resolve to remove him from his office, Sanjrani said: “I will not say anything on this matter.”
The lawmakers who visited the Senate chairman in his chamber included members of the PTI, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Balochistan Awami Party and Grand Democratic Alliance.
Sanjrani had been elected chairman of the Senate after the PPP’s Raza Rabbani completed his term in office in March last year.
Also read: Sanjrani’s controversial election
He had bagged 57 votes against 46 secured by his opponent, Raja Zafarul Haq of the PML-N. Though the PML-N had offered to support the PPP if Rabbani was fielded by the PPP as a candidate, the offer was turned down by Asif Ali Zardari.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier this month assured Sanjrani that the PTI would support him in the wake of any move from the opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against him.
