Ishaq Dar likely to become opposition leader in Senate

Muhammad Anis

ISLAMABAD: Senator Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) is most likely to become new opposition leader in the Senate unanimously.

However, the PML-N, which was to submit an application in the Senate secretariat nominating Ishaq Dar as the new opposition leader today (Wednesday), has delayed the move for another few days. Dar told The News the PML-N is a majority opposition party in the Senate with 14 members, adding it was to submit an application in the Senate Secretariat on Wednesday but had delayed it for a few days on the request of JUI-F.

Ishaq Dar will replace Maulana Abdul Ghafoor, whose JUI-F, following the March 2senate elections, is left with only seven members in upper house of the Parliament. Currently, there are 21 opposition members in the Senate including 14 PML-N and seven JUI-F members as well as nine independent senators including eight from Fata.

Dar hinted at securing the support of JUI-F but would not share details. “We are not in a hurry and want that unanimity should prevail in opposition benches on all issues including the nomination of the opposition leader,” he said.

He said the application with a request to nominate the new opposition leader of the house bore the signatures of 17 senators, including three independent members.According to the new rules passed by the Senate last week, if two candidates enjoy the support of equal senators then the candidate of the majority opposition party would be declared the opposition leader of the upper house. The Senate secretariat had also asked the independent members to declare their association with government or opposition benches. According to new rules, if an independent member wants to maintain his independent status, he would not be entitled to use his vote in nomination of opposition members.

Asked to comment on the expected role of the new Senate chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and deputy chairman Sabir Baloch who are considered close aides of President Zardari, the PML-N parliamentarian said he hoped they would keep the sanctity of the chair.

Maulana Abdul Gahfoor Haideri was declared the opposition leader in the Senate in succession to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in June last year in what was termed by the PML-N as a controversial decision. While Haideri will now lose the slot of the opposition leader, he will continue as a member of the house till March 11, 2015 while the tenure of Ishaq Dar who was re-elected as senator on technocrats’ seat ends on March 11, 2018. Dar will also have to surrender the slot of opposition leader if his party comes to power after the next general elections.