PPP’s Gilani says he couldn’t reach Islamabad in time so had to miss important senate session

Leader of the Opposition in Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said that he had not received the agenda of the Senate till 1 AM of the night between January 27 to January 28.

Speaking about his absence from the Senate on Friday as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 got passed, Gilani said, “It was humanly impossible for me to reach in six hours to Islamabad.”

“If and when can’t make history. There were a lot of honorable members who were missing. I will question the Dilawar Khan group as to why they voted in favour of the government. The Dilawar group was pressurised to vote for the government.”

مجھےصبح سینیٹ کاایجنڈا ملاممکن نہیں تھا کہ اجلاس میں پہنچ سکوں۔دلاور خان گروپ صبح ساتھ تھا،پھرحکومت نےملا لیا۔ یوسف رضا گیلانی

اگرآپ سمجھتے ہیں کہ دلاورخان گروپ اپوزیشن کےساتھ ہےتو وہ چیرمین سینیٹ کےخلاف ووٹ آف نو کانفیڈنس کےلیےآگے بڑھیں۔سینیٹر مصدق ملک

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— Shahzeb Khanzada (@shazbkhanzdaGEO) January 28, 2022

Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada negated Gilani’s comments on the Dilawar Khan group and said that the group says the Opposition failed to convince them for support. The government succeeded in doing so.

Khanzada questioned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Dr Musadik Malik, who was part of the guest panel on the programme about his tweet where Malik questioned Gilani’s absence and had said that one vote, i.e. of Mr Gilani was missing and the bill to make Pakistan a slave of the IMF was passed. And those who made him Leader of the Opposition voted for the government.

“It was very important that Gilani should have been part of the panel today. He is our very respected leader. But was very clear that the bill was been circulated by the government for the past 10 days and circulated amongst the members of the Senate. We were aware that the government had not placed the bill. We were already aware that the IMF was holding this session on February 2,” said Malik.

“Before February 2, today [January 28] was the only day the government could have done something. If all members of the Opposition were present as respected Gilani Sahib says he did ask them to, we would have had the support and respect in the Senate if Gilani Sahib would have tried and shown up,” added Malik.

On January 25, the Senate session was adjourned for Friday, January 28.

The SBP Amendment Bill, 2021, promises complete autonomy to the central bank and places a complete restriction on the government’s borrowing from the central bank. However, the government can now borrow at a market rate from commercial banks, which will benefit private banks owned by business elites, according to the Opposition.

The bill was passed by a majority vote. Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani then adjourned the session till January 31.