By ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been appointed as the presiding officer for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections, along with his responsibility for overseeing the swearing-in ceremony for newly elected senators, came following the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to reports, President Asif Zardari formalised appointment of Ishaq Dar by signing the summary, following the Senate’s tradition of appointing only sitting senators as presiding officers during the inaugural session, as per the Senate secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to postpone Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, in response to a plea from opposition members citing a standoff with the provincial government over the oath-taking of Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs)-elect on reserved seats.
Simultaneously, voting is currently underway to fill vacant Senate seats in the National Assembly and two provincial assemblies. The ruling coalition, composed of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and other smaller parties, is strategically positioned to secure a commanding two-thirds majority in the upper house of Parliament.
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Polling commenced at 9 am and will continue until 4 pm at the National Assembly, Punjab Assembly, and Sindh Assembly, with all 11 candidates in Balochistan being elected unopposed.
Originally, the elections were scheduled to fill 48 Senate seats, including 11 each from KP and Balochistan, 12 each from Punjab and Sindh, and two from Islamabad. However, with the unopposed election of 18 senators from Punjab and Balochistan, attention now turns to the remaining 30 vacant seats, with 59 candidates vying for a position in the Senate.
