ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Yousaf Raza Gillani on Monday stepped down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, days after the Upper House of Parliament approved the SBP Amendment Bill with a single vote.
Gilani was among eight opposition senators who skipped last Friday’s Senate session, which allowed the PTI government to narrowly manage to get the crucial SBP (Amendment) Bill passed from the opposition-controlled house. Gillani came under fire by the opposition lawmakers, including his party colleague Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
“I have submitted my resignation to my party; I do not want to be the Opposition leader anymore,” Gillani said while addressing the Senate session. He pointed out that “some turncoats” were accusing him of helping the government.
“If ministers would have said something of this sort, it would have been an honour for me. However, some turncoats are saying that I helped the government. I am not astonished by harsh words from my opponents, but I am astonished by the silence of my well-wishers,” he added.
The PPP Senator further said he has sent his resignation to the party leadership and criticised Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani for his impartial conduct during the session wherein the bill was passed.
Gillani, who is also the former prime minister, preferred attending a friend’s funeral over the most important sitting of the Senate that handed over absolute autonomy to the central bank. Some members of the PML-N, JUI-F, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party did not attend the session while a lone member of the Awami National Party also skipped the final voting, helping the government get the bill passed with 43-42 majority.
On the condition of the International Monetary Fund, the government had proposed about 54 amendments in the SBP Act of 1956. After approval of the bill by the Senate, Pakistan has met the last remaining condition for holding the IMF executive board meeting to revive the stalled $6 billion bailout programme.
