The opposition's newly-formed Rahbar Committee on Friday announced that it would move a no-confidence motion in the Senate on July 9 for the removal of Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani; however, it failed to forge consensus on Sanjrani's replacement. According to it, the name of a candidate for the slot of chairman Senate will be announced on July 11.
In its maiden meeting, the committee chose Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F) Akram Khan Durrani as its convener for two months. The meeting also decided that the position of convener would be assigned to all members of the Rahbar Committee on a rotation basis.
Sources privy to the committee's meeting told Business Recorder that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was all set to be get elevated as Rahbar Committee's chairman but mainstream opposition parties - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) - opposed this move.
The sources said both PML-N and PPP are of the view that a party chief should not be the head of the committee. "Fazl heads JUI-F which is much smaller a political group in comparison with PML-N and PPP. Fazl's elevation as Rahbar Committee's chairman could be embarrassing for PML-N and PPP and each of these parties would want its respective party head, Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to head the Rahbar Committee. Therefore, Fazl had to back out and it was decided to appoint Durrani as the panel's convener," a senior opposition leader told Business Recorder.
He said both PML-N and PPP have reservations that Fazl would use the forum of Rahbar Committee for his own political projection and would try to overshadow other political parties which is why both the parties have so far given a somewhat cold response to the committee even though PML-N's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal are the members of the 11-member Rahbar Committee and they attended the panel's huddle on Friday.
Opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is not part of Rahbar Committee and does not support the chairman Senate's removal. On account of serious differences among the opposition parties, the PML-N and PPP in particular, the candidature for new chairman Senate in case Sanjrani stands removed through a no-confidence motion could not be finalised.
"It hardly makes sense that opposition parties would move a no-confidence motion against Sanjrani without deciding about his replacement," the source commented. Briefing the media after presiding over the Rahbar Committee's meeting, Durrani said, "We will announce the Rahbar Committee's candidate for chairman Senate on July 11. Consultations are still on in this regard."
He also announced that opposition parties would move a resolution for no-confidence motion against chairman Senate on July 9. The opposition would observe July 25 as 'Black Day' (to commemorate one year of general elections held on July 25 last year), he added. The Rahbar Committee, he said, unanimously condemned the arrest of PML-N stalwart Rana Sanaullah by Anti Narcotics Force (ANF).
Background interviews with party leaders of both PPP and PML-N indicate that the two parties are vigorously pursuing electing their own loyalists as a replacement for Sanjrani. Requesting anonymity, a PML-N leader said that his party deserved to have its chairman Senate during last year's Senate elections but the PPP opposed this move. Resultantly, PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed Sanjrani who secured 57 votes to defeat Chairman PML-N Raja Zafar-ul-Haq who received 47 votes.
The last three chairmen Senate, including the incumbent Sanjrani, had the complete backing of PPP with two belonging to PPP. "This time it is our turn to get the chairmanship of Senate," the PML-N leader said adding that the party would reach out to other opposition parties for support on chairman Senate slot in the event that Sanjrani is removed.
Sources within PML-N said that the party is considering Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir, from Balochistan, for the Senate chairmanship slot though he was elected a senator from Islamabad. Nasir is regarded as PML-N's strong candidate and is a trusted confidante of former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Nasir was PML-N's head after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court. However, PML-N's other candidates for the top Senate slot are from Punjab and they include Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Pervaiz Rashid and Mushahid Hussain Sayed. PPP does not have any senator elected from Balochistan. However, the PPP is lobbying with the opposition parties for several of its candidates including Sherry Rehman, Saleem Mandviwalla, Rehman Malik and Moula Bux Chandio - all four elected from Sindh. Saleem Mandviwalla, Deputy Chairman Senate is clearly in the lead.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rahbar Committee was expected to meet to elect Fazl as committee's chairman and map out a plan to have Sanjrani de-seated from his office through a no-confidence motion.
However, the PML-N decided not to participate in the Rahbar Committee's meeting since its top leadership rushed to Lahore following the arrest of Rana Sanaullah, the party's President of Punjab chapter, the same day (Tuesday). This resulted in the postponement of Rahbar Committee's meeting then.