Image Source : AP (FILE) Imran Khan govt in hassle as Finance minister loses Senate election
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was trounced by former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani within the essential Senate elections on Wednesday, in a serious setback for Prime Minister Imran Khan who had personally campaigned for his Cabinet colleague. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) had claimed that it loved help of 182 members whereas 172 votes had been wanted to elect the senator.
“Yusuf Raza Gilani got 169 votes while Shaikh got 164 votes. Seven votes were rejected. Total number of polled votes was 340,” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) introduced.
Prime Minister Khan had personally made efforts for Shaikh’s victory within the hotly contested election. Gilani was supported by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition events, together with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Pakistan Peoples Party. Interestingly, Shaikh was a minister within the cabinet of former prime minister Gilani throughout his tenure from 2008 to 2012.
In one other twist, Fozia Arshad of the ruling social gathering obtained 174 votes in the identical home and defeated PDM-supported candidate Farzana Kausar who acquired 161 votes. Five votes had been rejected of their case.
Shehbaz Gill, a authorities spokesman, stated that the Opposition received by a margin of 5 votes whereas seven votes had been rejected. He introduced to “challenge the elections”.
Addressing the media together with Gilani after the victory, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari requested Prime Minister Khan to step down because the defeat of his candidate confirmed that he has misplaced confidence within the National Assembly.
“Imran Khan should resign, this is not only the Opposition’s demand but of the government’s own members,” Bilawal stated, including that “a new era was starting in Pakistan’s democratic journey”.
He thanked the PDM management and stated that Gilani’s win was a win for all democratic forces in Pakistan. “This puppet government has lost from its own parliament and the people of Pakistan have won.” Gilani stated that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif referred to as him from London, the place he lives, and “congratulated him on the glorious victory”.
PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz tweeted that Khan has no proper to rule the nation as “their (PTI) own people, despite pressure on them, refused to vote for Imran Khan (candidate).”
PML-N senior chief Ahsan Iqbal additionally stated that Prime Minister Khan ought to resign tonight. “Imran and his ministers can”t even cast their votes properly; how can they run a country?”
He was referring to the media reviews that Khan’s personal vote and that of his two ministers had been among the many seven rejected votes, which price them the coveted seat, as Shaikh was defeated by a meagre 5 vote margin.
PTI rejects requires Imran Khan’s resignation
The ruling social gathering leaders, nevertheless, rejected requires resignation of Khan. “The Opposition leaders must be ashamed. With what face and character can they are saying that Imran Khan ought to resign or say to deliver no confidence in opposition to him,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz stated.
Meanwhile, Khan held an essential assembly of the social gathering leaders after the defeat to debate the embarrassing state of affairs he abruptly discovered himself in, in keeping with Geo TV.
Both the federal government and opposition had been accusing one another of utilizing cash to affect and swing the loyalty of lawmakers.
A video surfaced on Tuesday displaying Ali Haider Gilani, son of the previous premier, apparently explaining to a minimum of two lawmakers how they’ll waste their votes through the election.
“Yousuf Raza Gilani”s son was caught buying votes in the Senate and giving away tricks to waste votes. This is the character of the PDM and their joint candidate,” stated a tweet from PTI’s official account. Gilani belongs to the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) however was a joint opposition candidate from Islamabad.
Ali admitted that he was within the leaked video however rejected the allegation that he was attempting to make a take care of the lawmakers to purchase votes for his father.
The members of the Senate – the higher home of parliament – are elected for six-year phrases. A complete of 52 senators in the home of 104 will retire on March 11 on completion of their six yr time period, together with 4 retiring senators from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Since FATA has been merged with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, they won’t be reelected and the Senate energy will shrink to 100. Twenty-three Senators every characterize the 4 provinces whereas 4 are elected from Islamabad. The remaining 4 senators from FATA will retire in 2024 and the Senate will additional contract to 96 members. The voting was held for 37 seats as different candidates had ran unopposed.
The polling began at 9am and continued until 5pm with none break. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Prime Minister Khan, former president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP chairperson Bilawal, and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif had been amongst those that solid their votes.
Separately, the Sindh Assembly became a pandemonium after lawmakers belonging to the PTI and PPP obtained into bodily brawl over the difficulty of a disgruntled PTI lawmaker, who was lastly taken away from the meeting premises by fellow social gathering members.
Earlier, the federal government tried to conduct the elections via open poll however the plea was turned down by the Supreme Court on Monday.
READ MORE: Imran Khan not acceptable, will demand recent elections in Pakistan: PDM chief Fazlur Rehman
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