ISLAMABAD: Amid mounting speculation that former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar may succeed in getting the Senate chair as he is backed by the ubiquitous establishment, Pakistan People’s Party’s Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani remains the front contender as far as his party is concerned based on the deal reportedly struck with the PML-N.

PPP sources told Business Recorder that as per the power-sharing agreement with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), PPP will be able to appoint chairman Senate for which the leadership has finalised Gilani as its candidate.

However, rumours are rife that Kakar, a favourite with the establishment, is a strong contender for the top slot, the objective being the continuation of the establishment’s hold on the Upper House of Parliament that began six-year’s ago with the election of Sadiq Sanjrani.

Gilani, who won with a thin margin of 330 votes from NA-148, Multan, against independent candidate Barrister Taimur Malik, has already filed his nomination papers for contesting the same Senate seat from Islamabad he had earlier vacated after winning the National Assembly seat from his hometown in February 8 general polls.

The PPP leader and former prime minister will be facing Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in a one-on-one Senate contest for which polling will be held on March 14 at the Parliament House.

The party sources maintained that Gilani is still the PPP contender for the Senate chairman despite speculations that the establishment wants Kakar to replace Sanjrani.

They added that this was finalised with the PML-N as the price of the PPP joining the coalition government in the center.

“I am not aware of anybody else, but I can share with you that the slot has already been finalised with the PPP and Gilani will be our candidate,” said a PPP leader on condition of anonymity.

If Gilani contests the Senate seat, his son Ali Qasim Gilani will contest the by-election from NA-148 Multan.

According to the spokesperson for Gilani House, Yusuf Raza Gilani has submitted his nomination papers for the Senate elections and once elected the party leadership will decide as to who will contest the bye-election on the seat vacated of Gilani.

Gilani had also contested the Senate chairman election in 2021 against Sadiq Sanjrani, but technically lost the election after seven of his votes were declared invalid by the then presiding officer.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024