QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Thursday threatened to lead a protest march toward the federal capital if Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi fails to retract his statement about recently elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
“The entire Balochistan is shocked over Abbasi’s irresponsible statement about the Senate chairman. With Nawaz’s ouster, we hoped that the Prime Minister’s Secretariat would be open for the people of Balochistan but that is not the case,” Biznejo said at a joint press conference with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
PM Abbasi, at recent gatherings in Nankana Sahib and Lahore, had expressed his concerns over the election of the Senate chairman and stressed the need to elect a consensus head of the Upper House of parliament, claiming that Sanjrani held no respect since votes were ‘purchased’ to get him elected.
Bizenjo demanded PM Abbasi must take back his statement. “How can he (Abbasi) make such a statement?” he asked. “This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a legislator from Balochistan has been appointed the Senate chairman. The position too is of such importance that it wasn’t reasonable for the PM to say such a thing and in such a language,” he added.
Imran Khan, whose party had voted for Sadiq Sanjrani in the election for the office of Senate chairman, also condemned PM’s remarks, saying, “He is unhappy with a democratically elected Senate chairman. How else can we satisfy him with Senate chairman elections? The 2013 elections when every party complained of manipulation … where was Khaqan Abbasi then? Why didn’t he ask for re-election then?”
Imran alleged that it was Nawaz Sharif who pioneered horse-trading in Pakistan. “He (Abbasi) says that money was used in Senate elections. The first time money was used to buy elections was in Changa Manga. Politicians were locked up like cattle in the Changa Manga rest house. They were auctioned off. Then the same happened in Murree. Nawaz Sharif is the pioneer of horse-trading in Pakistan,” he said. “And when the PTI tried to change this practice of use of money, why didn’t you stand with us then? Now that you’ve lost, you remember all this,” he added. Imran also criticised the PM for questioning the Supreme Court verdicts. “I was already disappointed with PM Abbasi’s defending of Nawaz Sharif and then he criticises the Supreme Court. It has never happened that a PM criticises his own Supreme Court. I ask the PM if he doesn’t accept the SC verdicts then why should thousands of helpless people who are locked up in jails accept the court decisions,” he asked.
The PTI chief claimed that PM Abbasi’s two-hour-long rendezvous with Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar wasn’t about any legislation but to secure a National Reconciliation Order (NRO) for his political master. “I have no doubt that the PM must have pleaded with the chief justice to save Nawaz Sharif and give him an NRO,” he said. “The only reason Nawaz Sharif brought this PM is to save the money that he stole from this nation and stashed it abroad,” he said. “I am sure PM Abbasi must have pleaded in the United States too to save Nawaz,” he added.
Imran ruled out any alliance with parties that have ‘corrupt’ heads but said that he remained open to teaming up with others, especially the likes of the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party, which boasts CM Bizenjo among its party members and has the backing of six independent senators, including Sanjrani.
Published in Daily Times, March 30th 2018.
