Major political parties contend for Senate top slots ahead of poll

ISLAMABAD: The mainstream political parties have intensified their efforts with a subtle manoeuvring to succeed their respective candidates in the election for Senate’s top slots, scheduled on Monday (tomorrow).

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is still to hold a final round of deliberations with its allies over nominations of the candidates for the top seats of the upper house of the parliament.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N supreme leader, is to hold a consultative meeting of the ruling party today in Islamabad.

The meeting will be third within a week.

Following a meeting held on Saturday, Hasil Bizenjo, leader of Balochistan’s ally National Party (NP), said the final names of the candidates were likely to become public today (Sunday).

He expressed confidence in the supreme leader of the ruling party and said the allies had authorized him to name the nominees for the Senate’s chairman and deputy chairman.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener Dr. Farooq Sattar.

Besides political allies like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Sindh’s PML-F, Balochistan’s National Party (NP) and Pashtunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), the ruling party also intends to approach the independent candidates for their support.

On the flip side, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) will be holding a party consultative meeting in Islamabad today (Sunday) to deliberate on nominations for Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Decisive role of Independent senators-elect from Balochistan, FATA

The groups of independent senators-elect from Balochistan and Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) are believed to play a crucial role in the upcoming election for the offices of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

The mainstream political parties are eyeing the independent candidates to get their favourite candidates elected as Senate chairman in scheduled poll on March 12 (tomorrow).

On Friday, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan put weight behind Balochistan and FATA candidates for election on the seats of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

“We will strive to make chairman senate from Balochistan, while deputy chairman should be from FATA region to recognise their sacrifices in the war on terror,” he said while talking to media in Islamabad regarding election on the top seats of the senate.

However, he said the PTI would not vote for the PPP and PML-N candidates.

Pakistan’s Senate comprises of 104 members and to replace the outgoing Senate chairman Raza Rabbani with their candidates, the mainstream parties need at least 53 votes.

The PML-N emerged as the largest parliamentary group of the house with 33 Senators. While, the PPP has overall 20 seats in the Senate and the PTI stands third major party in the Senate with 13 seats.