ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed senators on Thursday decided to join the treasury benches.
Two independent senators from FATA will join the treasury benches in addition to the 15 PML-N-backed senators, according to a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat.
Eleven independent senators, including six from FATA, have decided to join the opposition benches.
Below is the complete breakdown:
Treasury:
- 11 senators from Punjab
- 2 senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- 2 senators from Islamabad
- 2 senators from FATA
Opposition
- 5 senators from Balochistan
- 6 senators from FATA
All PML-N nominees were declared independent by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) just a few days before the Senate elections were due to take place. This decision was taken after the Supreme Court decision according to which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as his party head and all official party decisions he took following July 28, 2017, Panama Papers verdict were considered null and void.
The PML-N won the expected 15 seats in the Senate elections, whereas the PPP won on 12 seats which with the likely support of independent candidates may further allow it to consolidate its position in the upper house.
