ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has nominated PML-N leader Ishaq Dar as Leader of the House in Senate.
According to sources, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla has been appointed as the Chief Whip Senate and his designation will be equal to that of the State Minister.
The Pakistan People Party (PPP) is unhappy with the decision and has already raised objections to the nomination of PML-N leader Ishaq Dar.
On Monday last, Caretaker Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi had informed the Senate that Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had endorsed Senator Ishaq Dar as Leader of the House and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla as Chief Whip with status of Minister of State.
Responding to a point raised by Senator Shahadat Awan during the session on October 30 regarding the status of leaders of the House and Opposition, and the Chief Whip after completion of constitutional tenure of the last government, the minister clarified that as per parliamentary traditions, they would continue to perform their responsibilities.
A notification regarding appointment of Saleem Manviwalla as Chief Whip had also been reissued, he added.
On October 31, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani claimed that he had received consent from Caretaker Prime Minister to “retain Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar as Leader of the House”.
During a special session of Upper House of Parliament, an objection was raised against the use of the title of Leader of the House by Ishaq Dar.
PPP leader Shahadat Awan asked why the PML-N Senator had been labelled as the leader of the house on the agenda even though the elected government did not exist.
Responding to the query, Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said he had received consent from Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar that Ishaq Dar would continue as the leader of the house.
It is pertinent to recall that September 30, outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had appointed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as Leader of the House in the Senate of Pakistan.
His appointment was approved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif after which the then PM Shehbaz had sent the summary to the Senate Secretariat, which will soon issue the notification of Dar as the Leader of the House.
Dar replaced Senator Azam Tarar, who will continue as Group Parliamentary Leader of the PML-N in Senate. Dar had served as Leader of Opposition in Senate back in 2012.
Dar was sworn in as a senator after he had returned to the country after a five-year-long ‘self-exile’. Following this, he was sworn in as the new finance minister. The PML-N leader had left the country in 2017 while standing trial in a corruption reference.
