Former Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Syedal Khan Nasir have been elected as Pakistan’s Senate chairman and deputy chairman, respectively, as reported by Dawn on Tuesday.
Senate Secretary Qasim Samad Khan confirmed their election to the top roles in the upper house of the Pakistan parliament. A total of 41 newly elected Senators were sworn in as members of the House during a session of Pakistan’s Senate on Tuesday. The lawmakers took their oath amid a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders.
During the session, PTI Senator Ali Zafar requested a postponement of the election for the chairperson and deputy chairperson until the Senate elections are held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also stated that PTI would not participate in electing the Senate chairperson and deputy chairperson.
The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition won the Senate elections, securing 19 seats. With this victory, the ruling coalition in the center now controls 59 out of the 85 seats in the Senate.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who won a technocrat seat from Islamabad on April 2, is serving as the presiding officer for the first session of the Senate. PTI Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand objected to Dar presiding over the session, arguing that the presiding officer should be someone who is already a Senator.