Decision of Nawaz will be final in awarding tickets

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is keeping his cards close to the chest as far as picking up the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates for the Senate election is concerned.
He has not indicated even to a single aspirant about the award of the ticket with the date of filing nomination papers now just a week away.
“The prime minister has also not discussed any names with even most senior party leaders or close aides,” a federal cabinet member told The News.
He said if Nawaz Sharif spoke his mind, it would be preempting the recommendations of the parliamentary board, which has been constituted to interview the candidates, who have applied for the ruling party tickets from the four provinces, the federal area and the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata).
The minister said that the prime minister might hold a meeting with the parliamentary board to receive its recommendations and subsequently discuss them with it. The final decision will be left to Nawaz Sharif to take, who is also the PML-N president. He said Nawaz Sharif might also meet some PML-N applicants, who could not win the party nomination, to pacify them. The unsuccessful lot will naturally be grudging and complaining.
The cabinet member said that the decision about the award of tickets was expected to be announced early next week so that the selected contestants have adequate time to file candidacy papers on February 12 and 13.Scrutiny will be done on Feb 16 and 17 and the final list of candidates will be issued on February 25 for polling on March 3 for 52 seats or half of the Senate.
Importantly, two leaders of the Sindh chapter of the PML-N have applied for tickets from Punjab, which means they have transferred their votes. There is no legal hurdle in shifting the votes from one province to another. It is mandatory under the Constitution that the name of a candidate to the Senate must appear on the electoral rolls of that province from where he seeks election.
Interestingly, a senior PML-N leader from Khyber Pakhtun-khwa (KP), who is also member of the parliamentary board, has simultaneously applied for the ticket from his province and the federal area. He will be an invalid contestant from either of the two places because his vote can’t be at both places at the same time.
It is learnt that a total of 162 hopefuls applied for the PML-N tickets. Of them, ninety-six sought nomination from Punjab; ten from KP; thirty-four from Balochistan seats; sixteen from Islamabad; five from the Fata and one from Sindh.
Saud Majeed, who is being speculated to be appointed as the next Punjab governor, is also among the applicants. So is the other formidable candidate for the gubernatorial office, Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal. Both hail from south Punjab. The prime minister is likely to have the next governor from the Seraiki belt to give representation to this region in the top Punjab setup.
It is evident from the tally of aspirants that the maximum number applied for the Punjab seats for the reason that the PML-N is going to win all the eleven seats - four general and two women and technocrats seats each. Similarly, the ruling party is going to secure both the seats from Islamabad to be elected by the National Assembly.
Eight of sixteen present PML-N senators stand retired with most of them getting the tickets.
While the PML-N hopes to win both the slots of the Senate chairman and his deputy, the smaller parties and eight Fata members will hold the key in the election of these senior positions.
The PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will emerge as the main seat holders with a difference of hardly a couple. The PPP may either come out as the single largest party with around 26 or will have almost the same tally as that of the PML-N.
A total of eleven seats are to be filled by each provincial assembly. They include seven general seats, two women and technocrats’ seats each. Besides, two senators - one woman seat and one general seat - from Islamabad are to be filled by the National Assembly. Then, there are four senators from the Fata, who would be chosen by 12 members of the National Assembly. Two seats for minorities will be filled by the KP and Balochistan assemblies.
In the Punjab assembly, at least 53 members will elect one senator on general seat. In the Sindh assembly, a minimum of 24 lawmakers are needed to choose one senator on general seat.
In the KP assembly, at least 17.7 members are required to elect one senator on general seat. In the Balochistan assembly, a minimum of 9.28 lawmakers are required to elect one senator on general seat.
In view of their respective numerical powers, the PML-N will have a total sway in Punjab; the PTI will show a good performance in KP; the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will share seats in Sindh and there will be mixed mandate from Balochistan.