Will Not Back Gilani For Senate Leader of Opposition: JUI-F

A spokesman for the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) has denied suggestions that party leader and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) supremo Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman had put forward the name of Yousuf Raza Gilani for opposition leader in the Senate. JUI-F has taken the view that this slot was for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), citing the “unanimous decisions of the PDM.”

This builds upon a statement by PML-N's Maryam Nawaz that her own party would nominate the Leader of the Opposition for the Senate.

According to Maryam Nawaz, the parties that are participating in the opposition alliance had agreed to back the PPP’s Gilani for the Senate chairman election, JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for deputy chairman and a Leader of the Opposition from the PML-N. She added that the outcome of Gilani's recent bid for Chairman of Senate does not affect this.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) are of the view that after the opposition alliance failed to win the Senate Chairman slot for Gilani, the situation had changed. It is the party's position that a new arrangement is now needed where the Leader of the Opposition must be from the PPP.