PM should challenge polls if he has reservations on Senate chairman: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that if Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has reservations over the election of the Senate chairman then he should challenge it, otherwise he should refrain from criticism.

The PTI leader was addressing a gathering, where he asked the prime minister to retract his statements regarding Sadiq Sanjrani, in which he alleged that the newly-elected chairman Senate holds no respect as votes in his favour were bought.

Shah said that the premier's statements were tantamount to attack on the upper house of Parliament.

Shah Mehmood while pointing at the political opponents said that the confrontation with the judiciary has not been appreciated, adding that it led to an affront to the name of democracy.

He said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz did the right thing by changing its policy of confrontation.

Shah said that the prime minister himself met with the chief justice to end the contention.

He said that the CJP did not use the word ‘Faryadi (complainant)' for the prime minister, saying that no one can seek an explanation from the chief justice.

While referring to the incident of security checking of PM Abbasi in the US, Shah said that he condemned the act as he is Pakistan’s elected prime minister.

He said that India is playing politics on the issue and the move of security checking is being frowned upon in Pakistan.

Shah said that the Election Commission of Pakistan has said that transparency should be ensured in the next general elections.

He said that the CJP has also said that free and fair elections should be held, adding that the civil administration should perform its duty putting aside politics.

Upon arrival of Malala Yousafzai to Pakistan after six years, Shah said that he welcomed the young activist as she is the pride of Pakistan.

He further said that the government needs to scrutinise its claim of ending load-shedding in the country as it still persists.

Shah said that the time for the National Reconciliation Ordinance is gone as it neither has a place in the law nor in the Constitution.

On Thursday, Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo had threatened to lead a protest march toward the capital city upon Abbasi's failure to retract his earlier statement about the recent Senate elections.

On March 24, while addressing the inauguration ceremony of first ever CCV cable and Aluminium Alloy Plant at Sundur Industrial Area in Lahore, Prime Minister Abbasi had urged the members of the opposition to jointly nominate a new Senate chairman.

“The Senate chairman also serves as the acting president and it is a disgrace to the country that a man who bought votes became the leader of the upper house. Can there be any respect for the country after that?” he said.