Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani thanks PM Imran Khan after victory

ISLAMABAD: Newly-elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Saturday made a telephonic contact with Prime Minister Imran Khan and thanked him for supporting his candidature, ARY NEWS reported.

The prime minister also congratulated him on getting elected as the Senate chairman for the second time as Sanjrani said that appointment of Senate chairman and deputy chairman from Balochistan and FATA is representation from small provinces.

“I will take all Senators onboard during the proceedings of the upper house of the Parliament,” he said adding that they would further increase the sanctity of the upper house and try to fulfill the expectations of the masses.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan congratulated Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi on securing the Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections.

In his tweet, PM Imran Khan said he is happy that Balochistan and former FATA got the two slots in line with his policy of mainstreaming those parts of Pakistan that have been marginalized or left behind in the past.

Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi of the ruling alliance were elected as chairman and deputy chairman Senate respectively on Friday.

Out of the total 98 votes polled, Sadiq Sanjrani secured forty-eight votes whilst his rival and candidate of opposition parties Yousaf Raza Gilani got 42 votes. Eight votes were rejected.

Mirza Muhammad Afridi, for the office of deputy chairman Senate, secured fifty-four votes whilst the candidate of opposition parties Abdul Ghafoor Haideri bagged forty-four votes out of the total ninety-eight votes polled.