Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The PTI government has offered the Senate deputy chairman seat to its staunch opponent Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI).

As per details, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak has confirmed the development, saying that the ruling party has told senior JUI-F leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri that he can be the deputy chairman Senate.

Earlier today, Khattak and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani met Haideri and offered him the position.

Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, whose party is member of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), said that he cannot predict who will become Senate Chairman on March 12 nor has he been informed about PDM’s decision about candidates for the top slots of Senate.

On the other hand, PDM has decided to field JUI-F candidate for slot of Senate Deputy Chairman while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will get post of Opposition leader in the upper house of parliament.

A meeting of steering committee was held under the chair of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at his residence. The meeting deliberated on names of candidates for the elections; however an official announcement will be made by PDM head Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman.

The elections for the coveted slots of Senate chairman and deputy chairman are slated to be held on March 12 and the opposition is contesting these polls jointly. It has already nominated Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for the Senate chairman seat.

Earlier, on March 4, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced Sadiq Sanjrani as the party’s candidate for chairman Senate.

However, from that total of 49, the PML-N’s Ishaq Dar, who was elected senator in 2018, has yet to take oath and is unlikely to be able to vote for the Senate chairman.

That means the opposition in reality has only 48 senators, and the Senate itself will have 99 members able to vote.

Bear in mind that the the government and opposition’s numbers combined (46+48 = 94) still leave 5 senators to be accounted for.

These are the senators who will be key to determining the final result. More on them below.