ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for a session of the upper house of Parliament on April 9th (Tuesday) for the swearing-in of newly-elected members and the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman, despite objections from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) due to perceived gaps in representation.
A late-night announcement from the President House on Sunday stated, “In accordance with the authority vested in Clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the Senate to convene at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024, at 09:00 am.”
During the Senate session, newly-elected senators will be sworn in, and elections for the pivotal roles of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate will take place.
The oath to the newly-elected senators, including those elected in by-elections for vacant seats, will be administered by the presiding officer nominated by the prime minister.
In the 96-member house, 85 senators will take the oath, as the elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were deferred by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Last week, Senate elections were conducted nationwide except in KP, where polls were postponed due to the incomplete provincial Assembly following the delayed administration of oaths to members elected on reserved seats.
Regarding the race for top Senate posts, the PPP has put forward former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as its candidate for chairman of the Senate, while the PML-N has yet to nominate a candidate for the deputy chairman position.
There’s speculation within the PML-N about nominating a female lawmaker for the role, with an announcement expected today.
Meanwhile, the PTI, the main opposition party, has not named a candidate for the chairman of the Senate position to challenge the ruling coalition’s joint candidate.
In terms of party positions in the Senate, Gilani, the PPP nominee for chairman, has garnered support from 24 PPP senators, 19 from PML-N, four from BAP, three from ANP, three independents, and one from the National Party, totaling 54.
If three senators from MQM-Pakistan and five from JUIF also support Gilani, the tally would reach 62, indicating a favorable position for the ruling coalition nominee.
On the other hand, PTI has the backing of 20 senators, with one each from BNP and PML-Q, totaling 22. If JUI-F aligns with the opposition, their strength would be 27 members.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
