Independent candidate from Balochistan, backed by joint opposition Sadiq Sanjrani has won Senate election for chairmanship with as many as 57 votes against 46 of ruling party s candidate on Monday.
Raja Zafarul Haq of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Sadiq Sanjrani, a joint candidate of opposition parties are contesting for Senate chairmanship. For deputy chairman, Usman Kakar of Pakhtukhwa Milli Awami Party and Salim Mandviwalla of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are taking part.
The new senators were sworn in at 10:00am today after they won Senate polls held on March 3. And polling to elect new leaders of the Upper House kickstarted at 04:00pm today. The polling is being held via secret ballot.
Three senators belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were initially absent namely, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi and Attaur Rehman which could have served a blow to federally ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) but they returned before polling concluded.
PML-N’s Mushahidullah and Abdul Qadir Baloch briefly conversed with JUI-F’s members upon their return.
Following the polling, the candidate with majority of votes will be administered oath who would then swear in his deputy.
The session is to be adjourned until further notice after the oath-taking ceremony.
