Faisal Vawda's demand for Senate ticket based on seniority are valid: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday said that the federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda's demand to prioritise him for Senate ticket based on his seniority are valid.

Speaking during a show on Geo News, the minister added that while Vawda's concerns are genuine, the objections raised by PTI Sindh members in relation to giving a Senate ticket to Faisal Vawda are also "understandable because he is a sitting Member of the National Assembly (MNA) so [party members think that] he should not be given a Senate ticket."

"Faisal Vawda has an ongoing [dual citizenship] case against him and we don't know when will a verdict be given regarding that," Asad Umar said. "There is a risk of the court giving a judgment against Vawda."

Speaking about the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Asad Umar said that "he had shown a good performance," adding that "someone becoming the chairman of the Senate from Balochistan for the first time was a welcome change."

Answering a question about the practice of horse-trading in the Senate elections, the minister said that the process of open-ballot voting would bring about a change.

"If five people sold out [their votes] in the past during the Senate election, maybe three of them will not do it now after the introduction of open-ballot voting."

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh chapter has been facing a severe rift after the party leadership finalised Federal Minister Faisal Vawda and wealthy construction contractor Saifullah Abro for the Senate from the province.

The party’s decision has generated criticism from its key leaders from three zones of rural Sindh who on Sunday wrote a letter to Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to show their anger and demand the party’s high command to take back tickets from Vawda and Abro.

Read more: Rift in PTI Sindh over award of Senate tickets to Faisal Vawda, Saifullah Abro