The opposition was able to pass a resolution in the Senate on the price of a coronavirus vaccine on Monday, despite disagreements within the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
Senator Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Kamran Murtaza moved the resolution against the sale of the corona virus vaccine at high prices.
The Senate approved the resolution put forward by the Opposition, with 43 votes in favor and 31 votes against it.
In the resolution, candidates from the Opposition Party demanded that the government provide a free corona virus vaccine or at a lower rate for the public.
Angered by these developments, DPR Leader Shehzad Waseem said the resolution was a statement of demands against the government.
Senator Faisal Javed, on the other hand, called the resolution “odd”. “The whole world appreciates Imran Khan’s strategy against the coronavirus,” he said, defending the government’s move to vaccinate the masses.
Likewise, the Special Assistant to Poverty Alleviation and Social Security for Prime Minister Sania Nishtar warned politicians against mixing the coronavirus with politics, saying fighting infection was a “national security issue”.
The developments came after the PPP and the Awami National Party (ANP) received notifications indicating the reasons for the alleged violation of the Opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – the decision and principle of consensus.
PDM Chairman Maulana Fazal ur Rehman has agreed to issue notification of reasons for both parties.
The day before, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his party is ready to join hands with allied parties and if they refuse then he is ready to act as the Opposition itself, but said his party will not sit easily until they send a packing “puppet government”.
The PPP chairman, addressing a ceremony in connection with the 42nd anniversary of the death of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, said that only “they [the PPP] know how to run a movement democratically “.
The PDM decided last month that the PPP would get a Senate seat while the vice chairman would go to JUI-F and PML-N would get the position of leader of the Opposition.
The PPP and JUI-F candidates for the two slots did not succeed in the election, because the general chairman withdrew seven votes from PPP Senator candidate Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Subsequently, the PPP withdrew from the consensus agreement and chose to secure the position of leader of the Opposition by binding several members of the BAP party, which are part of the government.
ANP supports PPP.