After the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected 48 senators, Mian Raza Rabbani a left-wing politician of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was elected chairman of Senate unanimously on Monday. However, his deputy Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, a hard-liner seminary educated cleric from Balochistan belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had to face a tough competition from rival candidate Syed Shibli Faraz of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the election of deputy chairman Senate.
-- Left-leaning Rabbani elected Senate chairman unanimously
The PTI has succeeded in electing six senators from Khyber Pakthunkhwa province for the first time. The party did not field any candidate against Raza Rabbani but jumped into the fray for the election of deputy chairman Senate with only seven votes in hand. Sirajul Haq, a newly-elected senator of Jamat-e-Islami, proposed the name of Shibli Faraz of PTI, as both the parties are coalition partners in KP. But contrary to expectations, the JUI-F candidate, who had the support of both the government and opposition political parties, bagged only 74 votes out of total 96 votes.
Shibli Faraz of PTI lost the battle as expected but stunned all and sundry in the Senate hall as he got sixteen votes in a secret ballot conducted for the election of deputy chairman Senate. The proceedings of the house were conducted by Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar as he had been nominated as presiding officer by the president of Pakistan in the wake of recently held Senate elections.
Dar also administered oath to the newly-elected Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani. Soon after taking oath, Rabbani rushed to the presidency as he had to take over as acting president in the absence of President Mamnoon Hussain who has gone to Azerbaijan on a four-day official visit. The PPP, which had been occupying the Senate of Pakistan, having both top slots of chairman and deputy chairman, once again will rule over the upper house of parliament for another three years as Rabbani will be the third consecutive chairman senate from PPP.
Prominent among those present were opposition leader in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, ongoing chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Syed Naveed Qamar. Moreover, there were some PPP workers present in the visitors' gallery of the Senate. The moment Rabbani took oath, the PPP workers shouted full-throated slogans of 'Jiay Bhutto', 'Eik Zardari sab pe bhari', 'BB or Benazir Bhutto zinda hei', etc.
After the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected chairman Senate, the lawmakers in their felicitation speeches, showered praise on Rabbani, whose wife Tamanna Rabbani was also present in the visitors' gallery. She termed him man of principles and dignity. Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, opposition leader in Senate, said that "if there is any symbol of federation, democracy, constitutionalism, democrat, it is Raza Rabbani, who has a long history of dedication, honesty, pain and struggle as a committed political worker."
Senator Farhatullah Babar said that Rabbani had entered upon the high office with formidable credentials as a great democrat and constitutionalist, a committed federalist, a passionate human rights activist, a genuine political worker, a brilliant lawyer and a person of great integrity.
He said that during the past few years the Parliament had come under pressure from some state institutions that tended to tread upon the domain of the parliament. "A major reason of the systematic erosion of the parliament was the civil-military disconnect and the refusal of the security establishment to submit to parliamentary sovereignty," he added.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed termed Rabbani's election a well-deserved, adding he would be the first left-leaning chairman of the upper house of parliament which is a good; it will further strengthen democracy. But Mushahid's complement for Rabbani was criticised by Sirajul Haq, who is also chief of hard-liner Jamaat-i-Islami. According to him, the time is not appropriate for decalring some 'leftist' while others 'rightists' and "what we need to do is 'right' and what is 'wrong' as the country is passing through a critical juncture."
Senator Noman Wazir of PTI also felicitated Rabbani and assured his party's full support on issues pertaining to national interest. "Rabbani is a credible person and the PTI will extend all-out support to him as far as it's a matter of national interest," he added. A jubilant Rabbani thanked all the senators, the prime minister and the PPP co-chairman for showing confidence in him and paving the way for his unanimous election as chairman Senate.
Rabbani said it was the late Benazir Bhutto, without her guidance and support, he would not have been able to attain this height. "Whatever I'm today, it's just because of my political mentor BB Shaheed," he maintained. Rabbani, who is the architect of the 18th Amendment, said the country is passing through turbulent times and the constitution needs to be protected and preserved. He called upon Speaker National Assembly to strengthen his hands, saying together National Assembly and Senate can thwart any untoward move against the parliament.
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