Senate election: Deadlock persists between PPP, PML-N over women seats

The talks between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over women’s seats in the upcoming Senate election has reached a deadlock, ARY News reported.

PPP candidate for the women’s seat Faiza Malik has refused to withdraw from the election as the former ruling coalition parties were at a standstill over the seat adjustment in the Punjab Senate election.

In this regard, Malik said that she filed her nomination papers on the orders of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

According to her, the PPP chief has not asked her to withdraw from the race for the women’s seat in the upper house.

It is pertinent to mention that the two women’s seats of the Senate are vacant from Punjab.

The PML-N has fielded Anusha Rehman and Bushra Anjum Butt while Malik is contesting from the PPP’s platform.

Read more: ECP issues revised list for upcoming Senate elections

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Sanam Javed for the Senate seat in Punjab. Dr Yasmin Rashid was reported to contest the senate election on the technocrat seat.

Sanam Javed had moved the Appellate Tribunal after her nomination papers were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Appellate Tribunal of Lahore High Court later accepted her appeal and allowed her to contest the Senate elections.

The polling for the elections on 48 vacant seats of the upper house will be held on April 2 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.

Earlier today, as many as seven candidates for the Senate’s general seats from Punjab were elected unopposed including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

PML-N’s Ahad Cheema, Pervaiz Rashid, Nasir Mehmood, and Talal Chaudhry were among those elected unopposed.

Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi of the ruling coalition was also elected.

Sunni Ittehad Council’s Hamid Khan and Raja Nasir Abbas have been elected on the Senate’s general seats.

Senate candidates Waleed Iqbal, Shahzad Waseem, Ejaz Hussain Minhas, Musadik Masood Malik and Omar Sarfraz Cheema withdrew their nomination papers for the Senate election.