Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has rejected the possibility of Raza Rabbani’s nomination as PPP’s candidate for the position of Senate chairman.

In a joint press conference with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazul-ur-Rehman, the PPP co-chairperson said he does not want the incumbent chairman to continue in the top post.

“Thank you so much, I do not want that,” Zardari said while responded to a question regarding Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) willingness to back Rabbani as the candidate for Senate chairmanship.

Earlier, The ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting of party’s allies to discuss multiple names under consideration for the seat of Senate chairman and deputy chairman. The session was attended by Mehmood Khan Achakzai, National Party chief Mir Hasil Bizenjo and Fazlur Rehman.

According to reports, all the allies were agreed with Nawaz’s suggestion of supporting Raza Rabbani as the candidate for Senate chairmanship. However, it was also decided in the meeting that Party would contest any other candidate in case Rabbani is not nominated for the position.

After the meeting, Bizenjo told the media that decision to nominate candidates for the positions of chairman and deputy chairman would be finalised within two days.

On the other hand, there were reports that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had decided not to support any of the two largest parties (PML-N, PPP) in Senate for the selection of chairman or deputy chairman.

On March 3 Senate elections, PML-N backed candidates succeeded in bagging 15 seats while PTI and PPP emerge victorious on 12 and 6 seats respectively.