PPP becomes majority party in Senate after 30 years

Ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has become majority political party in Senate upper house of the parliament with 23 Senators including the newly elected uncontested members. In Wednesday election, Adnan Khan and Farhat Qamar Abbass of PPP were elected to the Senate on reserve seats for technocrats and women. The two other Senators-elect were Afrasiab Khattak and Farah Aqil Shah of ANP.

The electoral college of Senate consists of four provincial legislatures and National Assembly. In NWFP media was stopped from the coverage of the election which prompted protest by the journalist community. Afrasiab Khattak, a former chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and provincial president ANP bagged 55 votes followed by Adnan Khan of PPP by securing 45 votes. Farah Aqil Shah and Farhat Qamar Abbas obtained the same number of votes.

Ali Gohar Khan, an independent candidate obtained 14 votes followed by Iqbal Zafar Jhagra of PML-N, who secured 9 votes of his parliamentary party. Shahida Akhtar Ali of JUI-F and Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli of PPP-Sherpao, two other women candidates obtained 14 and 9 votes respectively.

From Fata four Senators included Haji Khan Afridi, Idrees Safi, Abbas Khan and Engineer Aburasheed Khan had elected by securing 8, 8, 6 and 6 votes respectively. From Balochistan, Lashkari Raisani, provincial president PPP and brother of Chief Minister, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F and an independent candidate, Hamayun Khan had been elected to the Senate.

All candidates from Sindh and Balochistan and federal capital Islamabad have already been elected unopposed. PPP has achieved majority in Senate after a long period of more than 30 years. The party is now in better position to elect its Jiyala Senator to coveted post of Chairman Senate. In absence of President, Chairman Senate assumes the office of acting president in the country.