After a Senate race that saw a fair share of controversy, both government-backed candidates Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi won to clinch the posts of chairman and deputy chairman.
As balloting for the chairman election began, JUI-F's Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri cast the first vote, with a total of 98 votes cast.
Sanjrani obtained 48 votes, whereas Gillani received 42.
Seven votes were rejected for bearing a stamp on Gillani's name and one for having a stamp on both candidates' names, instead of the box allotted next to the names.
The presiding officer, Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, administered the oath of chairman to Sanjrani.
The Opposition's Qasim Gillani, the son of the candidate who lost, said that the rejection of votes will be challenged in the election tribunal.
The deputy chairman election, on the other hand, went off without a hitch, without any votes being rejected.
PTI's Mirza Muhammad Afridi defeated the joint opposition’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri after receiving 54 votes, with the latter getting 44.
In terms of numerical strength, the opposition had a clear edge with 52 members, including one belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami on its side over the ruling coalition’s 47 members.
This is what has prompted the opposition to reject. It plans on approaching the court to challenge the decision to reject seven votes, claiming they were stamped as per the directives received, which said that the mark must be inside the space allotted to a candidate.
In an earlier surprise, Gillani defeated the government candidate Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the March 3 Senate elections.
Most of the election day was occupied with the controversy surrounding "spy cameras" installed inside the Senate polling booth.
The Opposition had claimed that "spy cameras" have been installed in the polling booths set for senators to cast their votes. Photos of the "hidden cameras" were shared by PPP's Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and PML-N's Dr Musadik Malik on their Twitter accounts.
PML-N's Malik had even recorded a video showing the "spying devices" which were allegedly installed to monitor the Senate chairman and deputy chairman election in the Upper House.
After a long battle of words between leaders from the Opposition and the government, the Senate secretary had announced that the polling booth will be changed.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is watching the Senate battle from the PM House, Geo News reported.
Sources said the premier will visit Sohawa after the Senate elects its new chairman and deputy chairman.
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