Slots of chairman, deputy chairman: Nawaz to announce names of candidates today

As the Senate is set to elect its chairman and deputy chairman tomorrow (Monday), the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Saturday claimed to have gained the support of at least 57 members in the upper house of parliament.
The efforts separately launched by opposition political parties, prominently Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to thwart ruling PML-N's plan to elect its chairman and deputy chairman, are still afoot.
But PTI Chairman Imran Khan has made it clear that his party's 13 senators would only cast their votes if someone from Balochistan is nominated for the top Senate slot. "We would support the panel selected by the chief minister Balochistan," Imran Khan announced at a news conference along with Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Qadoos Bizenjo.
Khan insisted that someone from Balochistan should be nominated as the Senate chairman to compensate the people of the province for their continued deprivation.
Abdul Quddus Bizenjo who is being alleged by the ruling PML-N to have the backing of the establishment, told the media persons that they have placed two names of the newly elected senators from the province - Anwarul Haq Kakar and Sadiq Sanjrani - before the PTI chief for nomination to the office of the top Senate slot.
"After winning back support of the PTI, we have now been able to talk with PPP, senators from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jammat-e-Islami (JI) and other political parties from Balochistan," the chief minister said.
The chief minister also thanked PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for supporting Baloch people. He claimed that the PPP leadership has also stated that someone from Balochistan should be elected as the Senate chairman. Meanwhile, a meeting of the ruling PML-N and its allied parties gave the authority to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to nominate candidates for the offices of the chairman and the deputy chairman of Senate and he is expected to announce the names of two candidates today (Sunday).
Sources said that the meeting was about to finalize the names of the candidates, but Nawaz Sharif withheld his decision after the meeting was informed that Zardari has changed his mind in favor of Rabbani.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, PML-N Secretary Information Mushahidullah Khan claimed that his party has acquired the support of 57 to 59 senators. "The outcome of the discussions held in the meeting is that our figure has even crossed the required number to elect the chairman Senate. Discussions are still underway with others and so far 57 to 59 senators are supporting out party," he claimed.
The vote for the election of chairman and deputy chairman Senate will be conducted through a secret ballot in the House soon after the newly elected senators take their oath on Monday.
To a question about the PML-N candidates, Mushahidullah Khan said that the party and coalition partners have given the authority to Nawaz Sharif to nominate the party candidates for both the slots. "He [Nawaz] will either announce the names of party candidates tonight or on Sunday," he added.
To another query about nomination of Raza Rabbani, he said that Sharif had announced Rabbani's name in his individual capacity to pay a tribute to the latter's services for the democratic process and that offer is still valid. "We have only association with Rabbani because he is fighting the war that has been launched by Nawaz Shairf," he added.
PPP sources told Business Recorder that the party co-chairman may announce his "plan-B" if the party fails to muster the support of the required number of senators for electing its own nominated chairman and deputy chairman.
Through the "plan-B", according to sources, Zardari may announce the name of Raza Rabbani at the eleventh hour. "We believe that Rabbani could be elected unanimously as all the political parties are in his favour," said a senior PPP leader, adding that the slot of deputy chairman Senate could be given to Balochistan. Zardari also chaired a meeting on Saturday which was attended by senior party leaders including Bilawal Bhuttto Zardari and Raza Rabbani.
The chief minister Balochistan along with senators-elect from the province also met Zardari separately and discussed with him the deliberations made with PTI chief Imran Khan earlier in the day. The sources said that they also discussed the name of Sadiq Sanjrani for the slot of chairman Senate and a PPP candidate for the office of the deputy chairman.
Earlier, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar, after meeting with Nawaz Sharif, told reporters that Sharif would be willing to support Raza Rabbani as a candidate if the PPP revisits its decision.