Govt to field Sanjrani for Senate chairmanship

ISLAMABAD: The government has nominated Sadiq Sanjrani, the incumbent Senate chairman, as its candidate for the chairmanship of the upper house of Parliament.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate Chairmanship,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz announced in a Twitter statement today.

Prime Minister Ìmrañ Khan has announced Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate Chairmanship.

— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) March 4, 2021

In a related development, Sanjrani met with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. Responding to questions posed by journalists following the meeting, Qaiser said: “His personal opinion is that there is no better candidate than Sadiq Sanjrani [for the post of the chairman].”

Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI has announced Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate Chairmanship.#SenateElection2021 pic.twitter.com/JiOvc3f79S

— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) March 4, 2021

Also Read: PM Imran Khan likely to take vote of confidence on Saturday

He said a session of the National Assembly would soon be convened in order for Prime Minister Imran Khan to take a vote of confidence. 181 members of the lower house of Parliament will vote for the prime minister, he said.

Prime Minister Khan decided to take a vote of confidence from the NA after the government and coalition partners-backed candidate Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost a Senate seat from Islamabad to a joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Also Read: PDM leaders to discuss Senate chairman, deputy chairman polls

Mr Shaikh suffered defeat at the hands of Gilani in a major upset in yesterday’s Senate polls as the latter secured 169 votes as against 164 bagged by the former. The rejected votes played a key role in the opposition candidate’s win as these exceeded the margin of victory.