Muzaffar Hussain Shah rejects criticism, says 'votes stolen from Opposition's own house'

• All 7 votes that were rejected yesterday were marked in exactly the same way, presiding officer says.
• Muzaffar Hussain Shah says Opposition's votes were stolen 'from their own house'; tells them to investigate.
• Says PDM will have no luck taking their complaints to courts as yesterday's proceedings are protected from intervention

The senator who served as presiding officer for yesterday's election for Senate chairman, Muzaffar Hussain Shah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, has dismissed the Opposition's criticism over 7 votes that he rejected. 

Shah had yesterday rejected 7 votes cast in the election for the Senate chairman's position as he maintained that they were marked incorrectly — with the stamp placed directly on Yousaf Raza Gillani's name rather than in the empty space next to it.

Shah's decision had caused a furore on the Opposition benches, as the government candidate, Sadiq Sanjrani, received 48 votes against Gillani's 42 in the final count. The 7 contested votes, if allotted according to the Opposition's wishes, would have put Gillani over the finishing line and given the Opposition the chairman's seat.  

"Seven people from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) deliberately wasted their votes," Shah said today, after the Opposition repeatedly attacked him in their press conferences and questioned his impartiality. 

"The stamp was placed on all seven ballot papers in exactly the same way," Shah said. "Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Sadruddin Shah Rashidi's votes in Sindh had previously been rejected on the same grounds."

"These seven votes have been stolen from the Opposition's own house," Shah insisted. "The Opposition should investigate and find out which of its members are responsible for the theft."

"It is pointless blaming me," Shah said. "I took my decision after listening to the Opposition in detail.

Shah also suggested that the Opposition would have no luck approaching the courts with their grievances. 

"Parliamentary proceedings cannot be challenged in courts," Shah said, referring to laws that protect the business of the two houses of parliament.