Chairman Senate, Deputy sworn in

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Senator Raza Rabbani took oath as Chairman Senate on Thursday as Ishaq Dar presided over the ceremony.

While Rabbani as the consensus candidate enjoyed the support of the ruling and opposition parties and faced no contest; the PTI fielded Shibli Faraz against JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for the post of Deputy Chairman.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri received 74 votes against Shibli Faraz’s 16 votes. Out of the 96 votes that were cast 6 were rejected.

On Wednesday, Raza Rabbani resigned from his post as additional secretary general of the PPP.

In a previous statement, Rabbani had expressed that a candidate from Balochistan should be appointed as Deputy Chairman.

Raza Rabbani who had the support of the ruling PML-N and opposition parties submitted his nomination for Chairman Senate. His nomination papers were submitted by Aitzaz Ahsan, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Siraj-ul-Haq, Israrullah Zheri and Shahi Syed.