ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Zafar Ali Shah has cautioned against any endeavor of forced, illegal appointment of opposition leader which could/would have fatal implications for sovereignty, integrity of Senate.
Opening the 3-day Constitutional debate over controversial appointment of Senate opposition leader by Farooq. H. Naik on Thursday, whence both benches presented arguments over decision to appoint Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri as opposition leader;, senator Zafar Ali Shah reminded, that Pakistan was ruled by Parliamentary form of government, which could never succeed until due respect and integrity of opposition was accepted.
He reminded that Senate’s rules and regulations clearly implied that the right to appoint opposition leader of Senate lay with senate members and not with political parties
“25 senate members had stated it in written that senator Ishaq Dar would be the opposition leader”, he reminded, adding his concerns that 9 opposition members (of PML-Q) had been declared as official benchers, while FATA members have been ‘pushed’ into opposition!
He said that independent members have to decide their final group between government or any political party within a specified period, and as such FATA members had opted for government, but were suddenly declared as opposition members, just to assure the opposition leadership of Maulana Ghafoor Haidri. Online
