LAHORE - President Zardari’s sister and MNA, Faryal Talpur has called party’s Punjab leaders at Islamabad for a meeting discuss its candidate, Aslam Gill’s defeat in the recent Senate elections.
Gill’s defeat in Friday’s Senate polls came as a great surprise for many as the party had the required numbers to ensure his victory. Five party legislators did not cast their votes in his favour which paved the way for success of Mohsin Leghari, an independent candidate backed by PML-N.
Besides the desertion by some party men, Punjab leaders who were entrusted with the responsibility of forming panels of MPAs for the voting also committed a great blunder. They did not ask the legislators to cast second priority vote which could have saved Aslam Gill despite less number of first priority votes he got in the process. The formation of panels was also faulty because there was hardly any spill over vote to be transferred to the party candidate getting less number of first priority votes than required. The PPP could have kept some second priority votes for PML-Q candidate, Kamil Ali Agha instead of casting 10 first priority votes in his favour.
Qasim Zia, Raja Riaz, Zulfiqar Gondal and Shaukat Mehmood Basra are being held responsible for this lapse. They have been asked to explain their position in today’s meeting. Dr.Babar Awan is also likely to attend the meeting.
Meanwhile, President Zardari telephoned Aslam Gill on Sunday and expressed his sympathies with the defeated candidate. A group of PPP jialas gathered outside Lahore Press Club and chanted slogans against Dr Babar Awan and Raja Riaz holding them responsible for Gill’s defeat.