ISLAMABAD – Amid victory claims and allegations of horse-trading against each other by both ruling alliance and the opposition, the crucial election of two top offices of the Senate is set to be held today that will set tone of future politics of the country.
The new 100-member house will elect the chairman and deputy chairman Senate for the next three years.
The ruling alliance led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani as its candidate for the slot of chairman Senate while Senator-elect Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, former prime minister, will be contesting him as the joint candidate of opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
Similarly, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday nominated Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi as the ruling alliance’s candidate for the slot of deputy chairman Senate. The opposition has already fielded Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl-F’s Moualana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for this contest.
The contest has gained significance after the opposition PDM in a major upset defeated the ruling PTI on a general seat of Islamabad in March 3 election despite the latter had majority in the National Assembly to win this seat. As a result, Prime Minister Imran Khan had to get vote of confidence from NA.
As on March 12, the opposition has a razor-thin majority over the government alliance in the house with having 52 seats against treasury’s 47 members in the present 99-member house. It is likely that opposition Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) having one seat will abstain from voting.
But the government claims that it will win this election as Information Minister Shibli Faraz said earlier this week that they would do whatever is required to win this election. The government alliance through the victory wants to regain the confidence that it lost as a result of its candidate Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh’s defeat, from Islamabad, through hands of Gilani.
The opposition is lobbying to secure victory of its candidates thinking that the win will give a boost to its anti-government movement that has gained movement through its victory from Islamabad.
The contest of the chairman Senate has become more central as it is likely that the slot of the deputy chairman Senate would go to that side which would win this election.
For the past few days, the ruling alliance and the opposition both have traded barbs against each other for the foul play in the election of chairman Senate. The treasury alleged that the opposition has offered bribe to its senators to cross the floor while the opposition accused that its lawmakers were getting threatening calls from anonymous phone numbers to vote in favour of the government candidates.
The chairman Senate election will be held today after newly elected 48 senators will take oath of their office. For this purpose, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned the house to meet at the Parliament House at 10 am.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah has been nominated as presiding officer by President Dr Arif Alvi under Rule 9 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012. He will take oath of the newly elected members and then election of the chairman Senate will be held through a secret ballot following announcement of the schedule.
At least 51 votes will be required to become the chairman and the contest will continue till any candidate gets the requisite number of votes.
After the winner of the election will be announced, the newly elected chairman Senate will take oath of his office and then he will conduct the election of deputy chairman Senate. And finally, the winner will take oath of his office.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday nominated Senator Afridi for the post of the Senate deputy chairman. Information Minister Shibli Faraz made the announcement on Twitter after PM met with the senators-elect of the ruling alliance at a luncheon hosted by himself. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has nominated Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi for deputy chairman slot, giving representation to ex-Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) PTI member,” the inform minister said.
Afridi was elected to the Senate in the March 2018 elections as an independent candidate from erstwhile FATA and later joined the treasury benches.
At the luncheon, the PM announced the nomination of Senator Afridi and took the allies into confidence for the two top offices of Senate.
After every three years, Senate elections are held for half of the members and each senator is elected for a period of six years.
As many 52 senators retired on March 11 after completing their term. The lawmakers taking part in the farewell session of the house on the last day of parliamentary hear of upper house urged the political parties to bring reforms in their ranks and empower the Senate in line with NA.
Many prominent senators have retired on March 11 and have not been given opportunity by their respective parties to get themselves re-elected. While some of them have been re-elected as a result of March 3 election.
Those noticeable senators who have retired include PPP’s Rehman Malik, PML-N’s Chaudhary Tanvir Khan, Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar, General (retd) Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Javed Abbasi and Pervaiz Rasheed, BNP-Megal’s Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, MQM’s Mian Ateeq Shaikh and Mohammad Ali Khan Saif, PkMAP’s Usman Khan Kakar, PTI’s Nauman Wazir Khattak, JI Ameer Sirajul Haq and Leader of Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq.
Those who retired but re-elected included PTI’s Shibli Faraz, and Mohsin Aziz, PPP’s Farooq H Naek, Saleem Mandviwalla, and Sherry Rehman, JUI-F’s Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Moulana Attaur Rehman, and PML-N’s Professor Sajid Mir. PTI’s Zeshan Khanzada and Liaqat Khan Tarakai also re-elected as a result of March 3 elections.
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