After Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) snatched the coveted slot of opposition leader in Senate from its one-time ally Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the latter is making hectic efforts to create an independent group in Senate.
Senator Azam Khan Swati, who was defeated by Sherry Rehman of PPP in the race for opposition leader in the Senate, Saturday announced that the party is in contact with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami and independent senators from Federally Administered Tribal Areas to form an independent opposition bloc to give an end to 'monopoly' of PPP the in the Upper House of Parliament.
The PTI had already voted PPP's candidate Saleem Mandviwalla for the slot of deputy chairman Senate and it did so, according to sources, with a hope that Zardari-led PPP may bestow the opposition leader slot on the PTI. After the election of chairman and deputy chairman Senate, Asif Zardari played its trump card quite tactfully and fielded his own party Senator Sherry Rehman, who managed to get support of 34 opposition senators compared to 19 senators who backed the PTI candidate.
The sources within PTI said that it was a fault of the party as it had to strike a deal with Pakistan Peoples Party before extending support to its deputy chairman's candidate, "otherwise we all know Zardari will not compromise on two things - money and position."
PTI leader Azam Swati - who had been nominated for the post of Senate opposition leader by the PTI earlier this month - told reporters that his party had formed a strategy to counter PPP in the Upper House of Parliament. However, he did not specify how the 'independent opposition group' would function within the Senate. A senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader who declined to be named said that the independent bloc is being formed just to end PPP's monopoly as it is their third term in Senate.
Swati said that PTI would raise its voice against rampant corruption in PPP-governed Sindh, adding both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are the two sides of the same coin as both have destroyed the country through corruption. The sources within PTI said that party Chairman Imran Khan had given standing orders to his party senators to play the role of a tough opposition, as aides of Zardari in Senate could not be trusted any longer given their "double standard" in the recent nomination of the opposition leader in the Senate.
A senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader who declined to be named said that the stance taken by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after its failure to garner support for the opposition leader's slot, will only benefit the ruling PML-N, a party with which PTI would mainly compete in the next general election. "The PTI should know that PPP is one of the major parties in Senate and without our support, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would not have been able to counter the PML-N. The PML-N senator was destined to occupy the top slot of chairman Senate if Zardari had not played his role," he contended.
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