Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A day after election for 52 vacant seats of the Upper House, political wheeling and dealing was at its peak with both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) struggling to grab the top slots in Senate.

The PML-N has emerged as the largest party in the Upper House of parliament as 15 of its nominees, who contested as independent candidates in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling in the Elections Act, 2017, case, stood victorious, raising the total party strength in Senate to 33.

The PPP was the runner-up as it clinched 12 seats, raising its overall strength in the Upper House to 20 members.

Since both the parties don’t have the required strength to independently win the Senate top slots, all eyes are on the smaller political parties as well as independent candidates and hectic efforts are underway to win their support to make up the figure of 53.

As far as number game is concerned, the PML-N has better chances of securing the chairmanship of Senate. With 33 senators already in hand, it requires 20 more to install its man on the top slot. If 10 members from PML-N’s allied parties – Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and National Party (NP) who have five senators each – are counted in, the strength rises to 43. The PML-N will be still short of 10 members to make up the required strength, and the gap could easily be filled if Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (five members), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (five members) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (1 member) stand by the ruling party. However, it is still to be seen which way these three parties sway.

In case of PPP, it has 20 members in the Upper House – and is short of 33 to clinch the top position. If Awami National Party’s one member is added, it will still require 32 members to grab the top slot.

PML-N with 33 senators in hand is in a better position to clinch top positions PPP with 20 own members struggling hard to win support of allies, independent members

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (12 members), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (1 member) and Jamat-e-Islami (two members) are most likely to sit on the opposition benches.

In this scenario, independent candidates (15 members) have a crucial role to play as they can change the scenario with the choice of their alliance.

Addressing a news conference in Karachi earlier in the day, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto claimed that his party was in contact with all the opposition parties to bring a candidate for the top slot in the Upper House of parliament. “We will try to get elected our chairman in Senate with the support of other opposition parties,” he told reporters.

A PPP delegation comprising Dr Abdul Qayyum Soomro, Faisal Karim Kundi and Ali Madad Jatak also flew to Quetta and met Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to seek the support of six newly elected independent senators from Balochistan.

The PTI also approached Bizenjo as well as newly elected independent senators from the province to win their support. Jehangir Tareen telephoned freshly elected Anwarul Haq Kakar and invited him along with other senators to join the Imran-led party.

Bizenjo, elected as chief minister following a no-confidence motion against PML-N-led provincial government in January this year, said that his party was willing to hold talks with all the political parties in the larger interest of the province. “We do not have conflicts with any party,” he told journalists during a press conference earlier in the day.

“Our doors are open to all … but we are not going to join any political party,” another newly elected independent senator from Balochistan, Anwarul Haq Kakar, told media Sunday evening.

Instead, the independent senators demanded that the mainstream political parties give the slot of Senate chairman to Balochistan.

“This time, the chairman should be from Balochistan … it will help remove the sense of deprivation among our people,” Sadiq Sanjrani, another independent senator, said. Sources told Daily Times that PML-N and PPP had also been in touch since Saturday evening. Nawaz Sharif has reportedly offered Asif Zardari to field joint candidates for the Senate top slots.

Published in Daily Times, March 5^th 2018.