Senator Muzaffar’ vote created new problem for Senate
The alleged vote polled by Former Sindh chief minister Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah at the last moment has created a new problem for the Senate, sources said on Saturday.
Following him, newly-elected Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani also casted his vote for the seat of deputy chairmen.
The practice of vote poll by Senator Muzaffar has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.
Instead of taking a neutral position on Sindh, the newly-elected chairman has created a new constitutional question as Article 55 of the Constitution of Pakistan doesn’t allow an elected person for the right of vote unless there is a draw in number between the contesting parties.
The Islamabad High Court was briefed on Saturday that a total of 98 votes were casted during the Senate election. Government candidate Sadiq Sanjrani got 48 votes while strength of the treasury benches was 47. PDM’s jointly nominated candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani bagged 42 votes whereas the opposition strength was 53.
Similarly, the government candidate for deputy chairman Mirza Afridi bagged 54 votes while the opposition’s candidate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri got 44 votes. Remember government’s strength was 47. So Afridi got seven extra votes.
Meanwhile, the IHC was briefed in another writ petition that no candidate raised objection over the credibility of the vote. In fact after the president’s designated presiding officer, Senate’s newly-elected chairman also casted his vote in the favour of Senate deputy chairman as his political responsibility.
The act was done despite there was no need as a clear difference in votes between the ruling party and opposition was announced.
The appellant Shahid Arakzai while referring Article 55 of the Constitution made argument before the court that no elected person can cast vote until and unless there is tie between the ruling party and opposition candidates.
