Senate goes to elections today

As the much-doubted Senate elections finally take place today to the disappointment of many who had expected that the assemblies would be sent packing owing to the face-off between the military and civil establishments, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all set to emerge as the single largest party, short of a simple majority, to command the Upper House of parliament.
Ninety-seven candidates will contest for 45 Senate seats, following the retirement of half of the Senate members whose term expires on March 12.
The newly-elected Senators will take oath the same day. The election for the new chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate will also be held the same day.
Earlier, the election was scheduled to be held on 54 seats but nine candidates, including Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan (PPP), Ishaq Dar (PML-N), Mushahid Hussain Sayed (PML-Q), Osman Saifullah Khan (PPP), Nuzhat Sadiq (PML-N), Kalida Parveen (PPP), Kamran Michael (PML-N), Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (PPP) and Dr Muhammad Farogh (MQM), have already been elected unopposed.
In Islamabad, polling will be held for two seats reserved for the federal capital and four seats reserved for FATA.
However, two candidates for Islamabad seats have already been elected unopposed. The election will now be held for the FATA seats.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday imposed ban on the member of the assemblies from carrying their mobile phones or any other electronic device through which pictures could be taken to avoid sale and purchase of votes.
PUNJAB: The political temperature in metropolis has increased, as the political parties completed plans for making their candidates succeed in Senate elections. Eight candidates of three parties have filed nomination papers for seven general seats.
The PML-N has fielded four candidates – Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, M Hamza, Rafiq Rajwana and Zafar Ullah Dhandla, while the PPP nominated Dr Babar Awan and Aslam Gul.
PML-Q nominated Kamil Ali Agha, who is also enjoying the support of the PPP.
Earlier, it was expected that all the candidates would be elected unopposed but after acceptance of papers by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of PML-Q member Mohsin Leghari, the situation took a dramatic turn. Leghari enjoys the support of some forward bloc members and hopes to get their votes and upset Kamil Ali Agha. 0However, political pundits believe that Agha enjoys the support of the PPP and if the forward bloc voted in favour of Leghari, PML-N’s candidates would be in danger. “PML-N would never like to loose a Senate seat for the sake of Mohsin Leghari,” a senior member of the PPP said.
PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan and PML-N’s Ishaq Dar have already been elected unopposed on two technocrat seats. On one minority seat, PML-N’s Kamran Michael has been elected unopposed. On two women seats, PPP’s Khalida Qureshi and PML-N’s Begum Nuzhat Amir Sadiq have already been elected.
SINDH: A “political upset” would occur in Sindh Assembly if Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, the lone Senator-hopeful from the PML-Likeminded, obtains more than four votes on Friday when the provincial lawmakers go to polls for or against 10 candidates for the Upper House.
Further, despite the lapse of four years, the provincial lawmakers need a reminder from Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro to make sure they have their Assembly Membership Card obtained from the Secretary Sindh Assembly on the balloting for Senate.
PML-Likeminded, which happens to be the only opposition party in the Sindh Assembly, would contest the Senate elections with three of its candidates each for general, minority and women seats.
Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, Yasmeen Farukh and Photo Mal alias Dileep are the PML-Likeminded senator hopefuls. “We hope to win the support of members other than our party members in the Sindh Assembly,” said Abdul Razzak Rahimoo, who along with Arbab Zulfiqar Ali, Chettan Mal Arwani and Nuzhat Pathan is said to have formed a forward-bloc in the PML-Q in Sindh.
Commenting on the polls, a lawmaker from PPP’s coalition party told Pakistan Today that the four-member PML-Likeminded would mark a “political upset” in Sindh if Arbab (Ghulam Rahim) group’s candidates obtained more than four votes.
“We know that we may not get the wining 24 votes, but even if we win six votes tomorrow (today) it would be a big success for us,” optimistic Rahimoo said. He, however, denied to have contacted any of the voters from the ruling PPP or other political parties represented in the provincial legislature. After Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem of the MQM were declared elected unopposed, a total 13 candidates would be contesting for 10 seats of the Senate.
Eight candidates, who would contest for seven general seats include Mian Raza Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, Dr Karim Khawaja and Mukhtar alias Aajiz Dhamra of the PPP, Syed Mustafa Kamal and Tahir Mashahdi of the MQM, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah of the PML-Functional and Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi of the PML-Likeminded.
Those contesting for women seats include Mudassir Saher Kamran of the PPP, Nasreen Jalil of the MQM and Yasmeen Farukh of the PML-Likeminded.
The hopefuls for minority seats are Hari Ram of the PPP and Photomal alias Dileep of the PML-Likeminded.
KP:
Despite ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Awami National Party’s high command is worried by wealthy aspirants in the Senate election, as one of its MP has proposed a constitutional amendment to bind the electorates for showing the ballot paper in the Senate election.
The resolution was moved in provincial assembly by the ANP MPA Saqib Ullah Khan Chamkani on Thursday. However, Speaker Kiramat Ullah Chagharmatti differed with the resolution.
Earlier, while talking on a point of order, Information Minister Main Iftikhar Hussain expressed severe concern over sale and purchase of votes for the Senate elections. He said all of the MPAs were bound to follow party decisions, adding that the senate was a symbol of the federation, therefore it must be represented on political grounds rather than wealth and investment.
He called upon leaders and MPAs of opposition parties to support the ruling coalition in its drive for discouraging horse trading.
The ANP has fielded six candidates, whereas the PPP is contesting for five Senate seats. The main opposition JUI-F fielded three and PML factions entered in to an alliance and fielded four candidates.
The JUI-F fielded one candidate each on general, technocrat and women seat. The JUI-F has a squad of 14 MPAs. Senator Talha Mehmood is considered the most influential and is likely to “please” all these 14 MPs, which is essential for his second victory.
All seven PML-Q MPA’s are divided, as two of them have publicly backed the candidature of All Pakistan Muslim League’s Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif.
Saif is considered a blue-eyed boy of Pervez Musharaf.
However, some are likely to back adviser to PM Syed Qasam Shah, who was nominated on general seat by party’s central president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
However, there seems complete unity amongst the ranks of PML-N’s 14 MPAs.
The 124 MPAs of KP are going to elect 12 senators.
PML-N’s Nisar Muhammad Khan, JUI-F’s Talha Mahmmod, APML’s Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and independent candidate Faisal Afridi are allegedly making heavy investment on Senate elections.
The ANP enjoys the support of 52 members in a House of 124.
BALOCHISTAN: The PPP that has 15 MPAs is believed to emerge as the single largest party in the Senate elections from Balochistan, while the PML-Q would be biggest loser despite having the single-largest parliamentary group with 19 assembly members.
PPP fielded its three strongest candidates for the general seats whose success is sure. They are Barrister Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi, son of Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Yousaf Baloch, who is said to be the closest to President Asif Ali Zardari and Sardar Fatah Mohammad Hasani.
Multi-millionaire Yousaf Baloch, who is said to belong to Sindh, has succeeded in carving out close “relationships” with PPP and PML-Q members. The PPP is also expected to win the only minority seat and one each in woman and technocrat/ulema categories.
PPP promised all three candidates three to four votes, while the rest they have to “arrange from the market”.
Saif Magsi has his two family votes, while the rest he can have due to the influence of his father and uncle Tariq Magsi. Similarly Sardar Fatah, adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari on Balochistan affairs, also has two votes of his family and friends and the rest of he would “arrange” himself.
The JUI-F and Balochistan National Party (Awami) can surely have one seat each from the general category.
They have put Hafiz Hamdullah and Minister Mir Israrullah Zahri in the race.
The JUI-F has 10 members, while BNP-A has seven.
The JUI-F formed an alliance with nationalist groups BNP and Awami National Party who have three members in the assembly.
The lone member of JUI-Ideology Abdul Khaliq Basher Dost has announced support for the ANP. The group enjoys the support of 21 members and is in a good position to clinch a woman and technocrat/ulema seat.
The PPP nominated Parveen Mengal on women’s seat, while the PMLQ named provincial minister Rubina Irfan, wife of PPP minister Dr Agha Irfan Karim.
She is considered a strong candidate having the backing of both the PPP and independent candidates.
PPP overnight imported another candidate on minority seat, Dr Ramesh Kumar, who is said to have been an MPA in Sindh, but landed in Balochistan after dealing and wheeling with party high-ups.
Ramesh Kumar has the backing of estranged party Senator Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, brother of Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani.
On Wednesday, Kumar met the CM at his office and announced to join the PPP while expressing his full confidence in the party leadership.
The very next moment, he was replaced by Hina Gulzar, the official candidate on minority seat.
The PML-Q will be the loser, as the party has been left divided in tiny groups and its MPAs have already made their dealing and wheeling, mostly with PPP candidates in accordance with their convenience.
Party’s senior parliamentarian Shiekh Jaffar Khan Mundokhail and provincial finance minister and party parliamentary leader in the assembly Mir Asim Kurd Gaillu are running pillar to post for seeking the support of their party members for their cousin and brothers, respectively.
Another PML-Q MPA, Pir Abdul Qadir Gillani, son-in-law of former chief minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf, announced his support for the PPP in a press conference and declared that he had been assured that his three-year annual development fund of Rs 650 million would be released.
Two provincial ministers, Rahila Durrani and Nusreen Khaithran, are also running for Senate election as independent candidates after being refused party tickets.
Provincial minister Engineer Basant Lal Gulshun also received party ticket and is said to be a potential candidate on minority’s reserved seat.
Provincial minister Mir Shanawaz Marri who is contesting as independent candidate on general seat claims to be enjoying the support of six members. The National Party has fielded Tahir Bizenjo, the party’s central secretary general, for general seat with the backing of two MPAs.
The party announced that it has bleak chances of winning in the elections, but it wants to expose the elements who would get elected on the basis of horse trading.
Multi-millionaire coalminer, Haider Khan Naasar, a former caretaker minister, is also in the run and running pillar to post to get himself to the Upper House through his money’s power.
The ANP nominated Daud Khan Achakzai on general seat and he could get elected from the tripartite alliance with JUI-F and BNP-A.
The PML-N central leadership did not show any interest in the Senate election for having only two MPAs in the Balochistan Assembly.
However, PML-N provincial president Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, the provincial minister fielded a multi millionaire Akbar Askani on a general seat.
Another party member Capt (r) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, already announced his support to independent candidate Mir Shahnawaz Marri. Askani is aspirant for Senate seat with only one party vote.