By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Two opposition parties moved swiftly on Tuesday to discipline senators who broke ranks to support a contentious 27th constitutional amendment, underscoring the deepening fissures in the country’s political landscape amid accusations that the measure consolidates power in the hands of the executive and military.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party founded by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, distanced itself from Senator Saifullah Abro after he defied instructions and voted in favour of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment during Monday’s Senate session.
Abro later announced his resignation, but PTI leaders said they would pursue his disqualification anyway, citing violations of party policy. “I have issued instructions under Article 63A. He [Senator Abro] violated them and is disqualified accordingly,” PTI Senator Ali Zafar said. The party had removed Abro from all communication channels, including the parliamentary party’s WhatsApp group.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said a show-cause notice would be issued to Abro as a first step. “In the past, some MNAs openly voted in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and were terminated from the party. All possible actions will be taken against him for selling the mandate. The Election Commission of Pakistan [ECP] will also be approached to immediately terminate his senatorship,” Akram said.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser accused Abro of betraying the party and violating the oath he took when becoming a senator. “People never respect those who violate their oaths and turn against their party. His [Senator Abro’s] family and children will not gain respect and will face criticism on every platform,” Qaiser said.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), another opposition party, took even more decisive action against its own senator, Ahmed Khan, who also voted in favour of the amendment despite party directives. In a statement, the JUI-F announced his expulsion, saying the decision was made on the recommendation of the party’s parliamentary leader, Senator Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman, and Provincial Ameer Balochistan, Senator Maulana Abdul Wasay. The statement added that the central party had immediately expelled Senator Khan and asked him to resign from his Senate seat. If he fails to do so, the JUI-F will approach the ECP for his disqualification.
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