ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition on Tuesday secured the majority of 19 Senate seats, with Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP) winning 11 and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerging
victorious on six seats while independent candidate Faisal Vawda also succeeded from
Sindh.
The polling was conducted in the provincial legislatures of Sindh and Punjab. Senators
from Balochistan were elected unopposed. A total of 18 senators were elected unopposed
including 11 from Balochistan.
The polling commenced at 9am and concluded at 4pm.
Polling did not commence in the K-P Assembly as the process was postponed by the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) “on account of delay of oaths of reserved seats”.
The ECP issued a notification of poll postponement and referred to its earlier March
order in which it rejected a petition from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) seeking the
allocation of reserved seats.
Islamabad
In a significant win, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar secured victory on the Islamabad
technocrat seat by garnering 222 votes against SIC’s Raja Ansar Mahmood’s 81 votes. A
total of 310 members cast their votes, with 7 votes rejected.
Similarly, on the general seat, Rana Mahmoodul Hassan of the Pakistan Peoples Party
emerged victorious with 224 votes, while his competitor, Farzand Ali Shah of SIC,
received 79 votes out of a total of 310 votes cast, with 7 votes rejected.
Sindh
There were 20 candidates vying for the 12 Senate seats in Sindh, with 10 from Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP), one from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan, and one
independent candidate Faisal Vawda succeeding.
On the general seats, PPP’s Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Dost Ali Jessar, Kazim Ali Shah, Masroor
Ahsan, Nadim Bhutto, MQM’s Amir Chishti, and independent candidate Faisal Vawda
were elected as senators.
In the reserved seats for women, PPP’s Quratulain Marri secured 59 votes and Rubina
Khalid Khan got 58 votes, becoming Senators.
For the Technocrat seats, PPP’s Sarmad Ali and Barrister Amir Ghumro succeeded with
59 and 58 votes respectively, while PPP’s Poonjo Bheel was elected Senator on the
minority seat.
Punjab
Out of 12 vacant seats in Punjab, candidates ran unopposed on seven seats, while
elections took place for the remaining five.
From Lahore, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb secured victory on the technocrat
seat with 128 votes, and Petroleum Minister Musadiq Malik obtained 121 votes.
On the Women’s seats, Anusha Rehman and Bushra Butt of the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz emerged victorious, with Anusha Rehman obtaining 125 votes and Bushra
securing 123 votes. Meanwhile, Sanam Javaid Khan of the SIC managed to garner 102
votes, with six votes rejected.
To ensure a seamless electoral process, the ECP has deployed several measures, including
the printing of ballot papers in different colours – white for general seats, green for
technocrats, pink for women, and yellow for minority representation.
Moreover, the logistical groundwork was laid out, with the transportation of election
materials to returning officers completed.
These officers have issued the final roster of candidates vying for the 48 vacant Senate
seats, encompassing 29 general, eight women, nine technocrats/Ulema, and two non-
Muslim slots.
Number game
According to calculations, PTI boasts 20 members presently, with the potential to snag
seven more from their Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stronghold. This will hand the party
impressive 27 senators.
Meanwhile, if every MNA and MPA toes the party line, the PPP faces smooth sailing,
anticipated to secure 10 to 11 seats from Sindh, plus one each from K-P and Islamabad.
With 13 senators in their pocket, the PPP eyes a significant boost, poised to nab 12 to 13
more seats, landing them the runner-up spot with 25 to 26 members in the revamped
Senate.
Not to be outdone, the PML-N, presently with 13 senators, eyes an expansion, eyeing
seven more seats — five from Punjab and one each from K-P and Islamabad. This
projected haul would secure their status as the Senate’s third powerhouse.
Interestingly, the Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party, and PML-Functional
face a Senate exodus as their members retire in March. With their Senate presence
dwindling to zero, they’ve opted out of the race, aligning with the prevailing assembly
dynamics.
In Punjab, after purportedly striking a deal under the table, the nation’s three heavyweight
parties – the PML-N, PPP, and PTI – have secured a clean sweep in the upper house of
parliament. All seven contenders vying for the province’s general seats have coasted to
victory unchallenged.
Out of this fortunate seven, four champions ride the PML-N’s chariot to success, while
the remaining two owe their triumph to the PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council alliance.
With the stage seemingly set, three contenders are left to duke it out for the two
technocrat seats following the graceful exit of Mustafa Ramday from the fray.
Meanwhile, a spirited competition is expected from Sindh as 11 contenders battle for the
coveted seven general seats from the province. Furthermore, the stakes are high with
three aspirants vying for the two reserved seats for women, while four eager hopefuls vie
for the two technocrat/ulema slots.
Adding to the mix, two candidates throw their hats into the ring for the lone seat reserved
for minorities.
Sindh’s political landscape takes an interesting turn with Faisal Vawda, reportedly backed
by powerful circles, throwing his hat into the ring as an independent contender.
With the PPP’s stronghold evident in the provincial assembly, a strategic move to support
Vawda could potentially secure at least five out of the seven general seats, leaving one
seat for MQM-P.
However, should all proceed as planned, the PPP appears poised to sweep the remaining
five seats from the province – securing both women and technocrat slots, alongside the
minority representation.
On the other hand, The PTI-ruled K-P braces f