ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Friday claimed to have the required number of votes to elect its own chairman and deputy chairman in the Upper House. PPP leader Dr Qayyum Soomro, who is leading the efforts to garner maximum support from smaller parties for the Senate top slots, told a private TV channel that the party has so far secured the support of 57 senators out of a total of 104 members of the Upper House. A total of 53 senators are needed to ensure victory in the race for Senate chairman. “13 senators of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), eight independents from Balochistan and six from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), five Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) members, four Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) members and one of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) are with us,” Soomro claimed. Meanwhile, senators from FATA and Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo Friday called on Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto. During meeting of FATA senators with Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto at the Zardari House in Islamabad, matters related to recently held Senate elections and issues of FATA came under discussion, according to a statement issued after the meeting. Meanwhile, Abdul Quddus Bazinjo also called on Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto and discussed with them matters of Senate elections and political situation in the province, the statement read. Also on Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said that his party wished that the next Senate chairman is from Balochistan while deputy chairman is elected from FATA. Addressing a press conference, the PTI chief said that his party will give vote neither to PPP nor PML-N candidates. He said that his campaign is not against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif but the corruption committed by him. Reports says the PML-N is considering party chairman Senator Raja Zafarul Haq for the Senate chairman slot. Senator Mushahidullah Khan is presently in Karachi where he along with Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair held meetings with MQM-P chief Farooq Sattar as well as leadership of the party’s Bahadurabad faction. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazul Rehman has, meanwhile, said that he will again talk to PPP leader Asif Zardari for reappointment of Raza Rabbani in the Upper House. Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2018.