Daily Times

According to latest reports, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto has refused to accept the resignation of Yousuf Raza Gilani from the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House. Sources said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appreciated Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement in the House and said that he had always fought for democracy and was even imprisoned for serving the people.Earlier, Yousaf Gilani had stirred controversy by submitting his resignation to the PPP chairman instead of the Chairman Senate, as procedure demands. Bilawal Bhutto went on to say that the Chairman Senate, in collusion with the government, had passed the SBP Amendment Bill.

Yousaf Gilani gave the impression that he stepped down as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after his absence led to the passage of the State Bank (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House of the Parliament.”I have submitted my resignation to my party.

I do not want to be the opposition leader anymore,” he said while speaking in the Senate. During the session, 12 members were absent, including eight members of the opposition, two of the government, and two from independent candidate Dilawar Khan’s group. Gilani said his staff received the agenda of the January 28 Senate session at 11:30pm on January 27, while he had obtained it almost two hours later at 1am.”It was not appropriate to add the bill to the agenda late night.” “This was such an important agenda; we should have been given more time to mull over it.

The House is taken into confidence on such important matters related to the national interest, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case,” he said, says a media report.

The PPP Senator said the bill was not sent to the relevant standing committee, as he highlighted that the bills were debated over in the committees — and as a result, lawmakers reach consensus over a matter. Gilani said speakers and chairman were the representatives and custodians of the House. Therefore, the role of these officers should be unbiased, the PPP leader said.

“The chairman suspended the Senate session for 30 minutes. You facilitated the government, not the opposition,” Gilani told Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.

Gilani said it would be an honour for him if the ministers present in the House had said that his absence had led to the passage of the government’s bill, but “turncoats” were blaming him. “The ‘turncoats’ who leave a party for another are claiming that I helped the government,” he said, referring to federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry.”

While it is not me who should be receiving the credit, it is chairman Senate. Rigging is taking place [in front of him] when it should not happen,” he said.Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani had in March 2021 notified Senator Gilani as Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House after the PPP nominated him for the slot with the support of 30 lawmakers.APP adds: Leader of the House in the Senate Dr. Shahzad Waseem said the government had nothing to do with the presence of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate but was thankful to him for not attending January 27 meeting. He said there was no restriction on bringing any supplementary agenda in the House. He said the argument of the opposition leader about introduction of the State Bank bill on the other day was not correct.

He said chairman Senate being the custodian of the House should run the house as per rules. He said using personal vote was the right of the Chairman Senate. He said that the house could not be run by picking and choosing but as per the rules.The leader of the House thanked all the senators for voting in favor of the bill and those who were not present in the House on that day.

Taking part in debate, Senator Faisal Javed Khan said there was no need for explanation from leader of the opposition in the Senate, as he had done a great job by skipping the Senate meeting on January 27. He said whenever Prime Minister Imran Khan got victory, the opposition parties were faced issues like division in the Pakistan Democratic Movement. He thanked the Senate members for support in the bill and those who were not attended the meeting on January 27 including the opposition leader in the Senate.

Speaking on a point of order, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party Senator Shafique Tareen said he also missed January 27 meeting due to his party’s activity in Quetta.He said that he was conveyed in late hours but it was not possible for him to return from Quetta and attend meeting. Parliamentary Leader Awami National Party Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan said his party was also criticized despite his party’s two members voted against the Bill. Senator Dilawar Khan said they were not part of the government or opposition. He said the government requested his group for support which they accepted in the best interest of the country.