PML-N probes defeat in Senate

ISLAMABAD: After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Senate the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is investigating what had happened during the election of chairman and deputy chairman.

The ruling coalition was defeated in the Senate election on Monday, as the joint opposition’s Sadiq Sanjrani was elected as Chairman Senate and Saleem Mandviwala as Deputy Chairman, defeating the PML-N and its allies’ candidates Raja Zafarul Haq and Usman Kakar. Sanjrani is the first-ever Senate chairman from Balochistan.

Talking to Geo News, Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that some people ditched us despite promising thier votes. Actual role played by the unseen forces, he added.

We are probing why did our candidates fail to get the votes, we supposed to, he added.

Another PML-N lawmaker Javed Latif admitted that some members succumbed to pressure and didn't vote as planned however, some allied parties did manage to face the situation.

Sanjrani pocketed 57 out of a total of 103 votes, while Raja Zafar got 46. Mandviwala secured 54 votes compared to his opponent Usman Kakar who grabbed 44 votes. Ninety-eight votes were polled during the election of deputy chairman and no vote was rejected.

PML-N Senator-elect Ishaq Dar could not take part in the voting, as he is under treatment in a London hospital. Sanjrani, who hails from the Chagai district, also polled his vote for Mandviwala.

The Senate hall was dense with thunderous sloganeering. The most prominent slogan was ‘Ek Zardari Sab Pay Bhari’ (Zardari alone outweighs all). After taking oath as the deputy chairman, Mandivwala waved his fist in the air to respond to the PPP senators and workers’ sloganeering.

The difference between the number of votes bagged by Sanjrani and Raja Zafarul Haq prompted the PML-N to look inwards. PML-N senator from Blochistan Kulsoom Parveen admitted that she voted for PPP’s Mandviwala who contested for Deputy Chairman.