Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of opposition parties, has decided to challenge Sadiq Sajrani’s victory in Senate chairman election in court today (Saturday).
The opposition has concerns over the rejection of seven votes cast in the favour of its joint candidate for the Senate chairmanship, Yusuf Raza Gillan, who on Friday lost the election to the government-backed candidate Sadiq Sanjrani.
Out of 98 votes cast, Gillani got 42 votes despite of the fact that opposition has more number of seats in the Senate while Sanjrani got 48 votes and was declared the winner to become the chairman for second time consecutively.
Total seven votes were rejected because the voters stamped their vote on top of Gillani’s name while one vote was termed invalid as it was cast in favor of the both candidates.
“You cannot reject the vote in which the intentions of the voter are clear,” said Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing a press conference at Zardari House Islamabad on Friday.
He further alleged that this was an open effort to rig the election by claiming that the presiding officer, who was the ally of the government, was biased.
“I have consulted PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) leadership and have decided to challenge the election of Senate chairman,” PPP chairman added.
Other opposition leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) and Maryam Nawaz (PML-N) also rejected Sanjrani’s victory.
