Internews/Islamabad

The leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has issued a show-cause notice to one of its members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly for violating party policy on senate elections.
“The ruling PML-N has served a show-cause notice on Wajeehuz Zaman, its member of provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for his blatant defiance of the party line on the upcoming Senate elections,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The statement said the 49-year-old MPA had stated categorically during an interview with English daily that he would not vote for the PML-N candidates in the Senate elections.
“From the published (newspaper) statement it was revealed that Zaman had committed serious violation of party discipline which amounted to defection from party and violation of party’s constitution as well as the Constitution of Pakistan and relevant laws,” said the statement.
Zaman was elected from Mansehra on a PML-N ticket in the 2013 elections.
The show-cause notice was issued by Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, the PML-N’s secretary general. The notice asked the MPA to explain why he should not be expelled from the PML-N forthwith.
In his notice, Jhagra directed Zaman to submit his reply within two days and said: “In case of failure to respond, it would be deemed as if he had nothing to offer in his defence.” In case of failure to respond ex-party action would be taken against Zaman, added the notice.
In his newspaper interview, Zaman had said he would not vote for the party candidates if prime minister Nawaz Sharif did not release funds for development work in his native Mansehra district.
The MPA had maintained that he had made up his mind as he and other PML-N legislators had been neglected by the party leadership.
Zaman is the son of former senator Fauzia Fakharuz Zaman, who is contesting the elections as an independent candidate. He had proposed the candidature of another independent candidate, Waqar Ahmed Khan, for the senate elections.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has urged the supreme court to formulate procedure for voting in the upcoming senate elections.
According to an MQM statement released in London on Sunday, Hussain said the supreme court was not only the final arbiter but also the guardian of the constitution.
He called upon chief justice Nasir-ul-Mulk and other judges of the apex court to take suo motu notice to formulate a proper procedure for the senate elections.
“If necessary, a commission be appointed under Order 32 of the Supreme Court Rules, whereby members of the armed forces, selected parliamentarians, lawyers, technocrats and other figures known in diversified fields, are appointed as members of the commission so as to resolve the present crisis.”
He said the 2013 general elections hardly contributed to stability in the country because there were allegations and counter-allegations about rigging.
Referring to the dispute over the procedure for senate elections, he said it was being argued that to protect privacy of individuals the elections should be held through a secret ballot, but on the other hand it was being said that the polls should be by show of hands to avert horse-trading.
He said the crisis might deepen if the matter was taken to the parliament and a constitutional amendment was introduced.
“At this juncture what is required is a sane and correct decision about the procedure for senate elections, as also with regard to local government elections and investigation into allegations of electoral rigging and remedial action, if any.”
Hussain congratulated MQM candidates barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and Nighat Mirza on their unopposed election as senators on seats reserved for technocrats and women.
Speaking to MQM workers gathered at the party’s Nine Zero headquarters to celebrate the victory; he said the unopposed election took place with the cooperation of the PPP.
At a separate programme held to commemorate the annual foundation day of the MQM’s Labour Division, he congratulated PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on unopposed election of his party’s candidates Farooq Naek and Sassui Palejo.