Pakistan People's Party (PPP) may dominate upper house of parliament once again as it has managed to take its numerical strength to 26 compared to ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) 24 seats in the elections held on Thursday to 104-member upper house of parliament. The PPP, previously had 19 seats in Senate, and with the success of seven of its candidates, it has become the single largest party in the upper house of parliament. Its total strength has now risen to 26, according to unofficial results.
The PML-N, which had eight members previously in Senate, has now emerged as the second largest political party after winning 16 seats from Punjab, federal capital and Balochistan.
However, the PPP is also likely to retain the coveted slots of chairman and deputy chairman Senate if it succeeds to garner the support of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
After the retirement of its 21 senators, PPP had already 19 seats in Senate the number has now gone up to 26 as the party successfully elected 7 senators from Sindh provincial assembly.
According to unofficial results, all the eleven candidates fielded by PML-N from Punjab province - a stronghold of Sahrifs - emerged victorious, defeating the candidates of rival political parties despite strong lobbying by PML-Q president Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Manzoor Wattoo of PPP.
Those, who have been elected against general seats include Pervaiz Rashid, Mushahidullah Khan, Chaudhry Tanwir, Saleem Zia, Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd), Ghaus Khan Niazi and Nehal Hashmi.
Raja Zafarul Haq and Professor Sajid Mir have been elected against seats reserved for technocrats while Najma Hameed and Ayesha Raza Farooq against seats reserved for women.
The PML-N also clinched the two seats reserved for federal capital as two outsiders - Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, a loyalist of Sharifs from Peshawar and Raheela Magsi from Sindh were declared winners.
The PPP consolidated its position in the Senate by winning seven seats from Sindh, becoming the prospects of winning the support of the MQM using the reconciliation mantra of Asif Ali Zardari in a bid to retain its dominance in Senate. Farooq H Naek and Sassui Palejo of the PPP while Barrister Muhammad Saif and Nighat Mirza of the MQM had already been declared winner as unopposed.
The PPP candidates who won the senate election, included Sassui Palijo (PPP), Farooq H Naek, Gyan Chand, Rehman Malik, Saleem H Mandviwala, Islamuddin Sheikh and Abdul Latif Ansari.
The MQM candidates who were declared winners included Mian Muhammad Ateeq Sheikh, Khushbakht Shujaat, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and Nighat Mirza.
From Balochistan Assembly, three candidates of the PML-N, three candidates of National Party, three candidates of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), one candidates of each Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and one independent candidate emerged victorious.
They include: (i) Mir Naimatullah Zehri (PML-N) (ii) Shahbaz Durrani (PML-N) (iii) Kalsoom Parveen (PML-N) (iv) Hasil Khan Bizenjo (NP) (v) Mir Kabir (NP) (vi) Dr Ashok Kumar (NP) (vii) Muhammad Yousaf Badini (IND) (viii) Jahanzeb Jamali Dini (BNP-M) (ix) Muhammad Usman (PkMAP) (x) Gul Bushra (PkMAP) (xi) Sardar Azam Khan (PKMAP) (xii) Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (JUI-F).
MNAs from FATA will elect four senators. However, the enactment of presidential ordinance last night has been challenged in a local court, leading to the postponement of Senate elections in the tribal areas.
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf that took part in Senate elections for the first time clinched six seats. The chief minister Pervez Khattak told reporters that his party would win seven seats.
According to unofficial results Samina Abid, a candidate against seats reserved for women and Jhon Williams, who was contesting Senate elections on minority seat, were declared victorious. Both the winning candidates are from the PTI.
Sitara Ayaz, who was contesting Senate elections from the platform of the ANP, was also won the seat.
The counting of the ballots was in progress in the KP Assembly till filing of this report, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly clinched six Senate seats, while Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq and JUI-F's leader Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman have also won the election. According to unofficial results the seats won the PTI included minorities' reserved seat and one each seat reserved women and technocrats. John Kenneth Williams, Samina Abid and Nauman Wazir won minorities; women and technocrats reserved seats respectively.
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