ISLAMABAD: As he has finally taken the oath as a Balochistan Assembly MPA, it appears that the former Senate chairman’s plot to obtain an extension by a rule revision has gone awry.
Following the publication of his victory notification as a member of the Balochistan Assembly, Mr. Sanjrani ceased to be a senator on February 15th in accordance with Article 223 of the Constitution. Even though he was no longer presiding over Senate sessions, he was still using the chairman’s chamber to hold meetings with various personalities and, up until recently, utilize the title of Senate Chairman in official news releases.
The timetable for the March 14 elections for the six Senate seats that became vacant after the winners of national or provincial assembly seats were chosen by the Election Commission.
On the grounds that Mr. Sanjrani’s term was ending on March 11 and that elections for the seats that would become empty on that date would take place in the first week of April, the ECP chose not to disclose the schedule for the otherwise vacant seat. Legal experts surmise that Mr. Sanjrani could have remained Senate chairman while abiding by the law if he had neglected to provide the ECP with the necessary information on election expenses, which was a prerequisite for issuing the notification.
But the scandal began when he attempted to obtain an extension until the next chairman’s election, in addition to continuing to occupy the position unlawfully after losing his Senate seat.
In order to prevent it from happening, his opponents had planned to ensure maximum attendance and draw attention to quorum if a motion was attempted to be approved with insufficient support, a problem that is typically encountered on Fridays.
According to sources who spoke to Dawn on Thursday, Mr. Sanjrani had given up after numerous parliamentarians warned him against taking the risk and that it might not work out.
A legal expert cited Article 267 in response to a question on what would happen if the Senate degenerates into dysfunction, given that the deputy chairman is scheduled to retire on March 11. The expert indicated that the president’s role enters the picture in such circumstances.
When asked what would happen if the Senate became dysfunctional, a legal expert pointed to Article 267 because the deputy chairman is set to retire on March 11. According to the expert, under these situations, the president’s job becomes relevant.
