By: S.K. Sami
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had a good opportunity to show moral courage to the nation when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with a clear majority of members yet faced with a great upset on 3rd March, 2021 in the capital of Pakistan as the Ex Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani defeated the ruling party’s candidate Dr. Abdul Hafiz Shiekh. A day before the senator’s election a video got viral, showing, Ali Haider Gillani the son of Yousuf Raza Gillani, the joint Opposition’s most prominent candidate for the polls, explaining to lawmakers how to cancel their votes, in reciprocity of millions of amount the lawmakers were being offered. Despite the fact that the top leaders of all political parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, who for the last three years just criticizing stealing election, rigging and unfair procedures in election were sure that their joined candidate toppled by unfair means but all parties celebrated the victory of PDM and chuckling on.
After the astonishing result of senators’ numbers and unexpected defeat to the Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shiekh of PTI, The PDM fielded former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani (PPP) and Maulana Abdul Gha¬foor Haideri (JUI-F) as its joint candidates for the posts of chairman and deputy chairman, respectively while the government had alre¬a¬dy announced that out gone Senate Chairman Muha¬mmad Sadiq Sanjrani will be its candidate for the office for another term and Mirza Moha¬m¬mad Afridi for deputy chairmanship. Similarly, the opposition parties collectively deemed to having total 51 votes for the upper house, while the ruling party hardly about 48 senators in hand. According to the numbers the upper house was fat of the opposition, but this time upset shocked the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s member parties as the government’s candidate for the Senate chairmanship, Sadiq Sanjrani, defeated Yousaf Raza Gillani of the Opposition coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and marked a significant victory for the ruling party. Sanjrani got 48 votes, while Gillani could score 42 and eight votes in the total were rejected, while Mirza Moha¬m¬mad Afridi of Tehreek-e-Insaf won the Deputy Chairman seat of the House.
Besides losing excuse for the overwhelming of opposition the former holder of Premier office, Yousaf Raza Gillani have also washed out his label of Premiership in endeavor of getting the Senate chairing position.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement could justify their stance by gaining public support if they would announce un-acceptance of Gillani’s victory on the basis unmerited way of diversion the result on 3rd March. But unfortunately the thirst for the chair of political power gone as deep in Pakistan that no one is ready to sacrifice even a tinny ready benefit for the system reforms. Such impatient attitudes in Pakistani politics are utilized by the institutions and bureaucracy of the country, while the common Pakistani just living in struggling dreams to have good governance and good decision makers on the executive seats.