PPP to wait for PDM’s nod

ISLAMABAD   –  Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), after taking nod from its allied parties at PDM’s forum, will decide to take matters related to the seven rejected votes of Yousaf Raza Gillani to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the next week.

The party leadership held parleys with the party members to deliberate future strategy over a shocking defeat of their candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani for the top slot of Senate. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani to discuss all possibilities to challenge decision by the presiding officer in the polls for Senate chairman. 

In order to discuss controversy of the seven rejected votes by the presiding officer, the party leadership also took party’s members from the Senate into confidence in a dinner. The party leadership also formed a legal team comprising Farooq H Naek and Nayyar Bukhari to look into the matter and devise party’s legal strategy. According to announced votes by the presiding officer,the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani lost to government-backed Sadiq Sanjrani with votes split 42-48.

A total of eight votes were rejected but seven were declared controversial as the voters had marked their stamps on PDM’s candidate (Yousaf Raza Gillani) name instead of in the empty space in front of it. Talking to the media, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rejected the impression that PML-N’s voters betrayed the unanimous candidate of PDM(Gillani). “I know — we all know — that we won because the PDM remained united,” he remarked. Sources said that they discussed to deliberate option of moving a no-confidence motion in the upper house of the parliament against Sadiq Sanjrani at the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement(PDM). Talking to The Nation, PPP-P Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has won the elections for the Senate top slot. “Seven votes of Yousaf Raza Gilani were rejected despite the clearintent of the voters (Senators),“ he said, mentioning that the party leadership has already decided to knock the door of the court. “We will challenge valid (rejected) votes at all proper forums,“ he said, responding to a question about the decision taking the matter to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

When contacted, PPP-P`s Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri said there was a big question mark over the neutrality of the chair (Presiding Senate chairman elections). “Party leadership has rejected the biased decision and it has been announced to challenge it in the court,” she said, mentioning that there were numerous examples in the past which will help make their case strong.