Dar to continue as Leader of House in Senate

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will continue as Leader of the House in Senate after taking oath of membership next week.

Sources said on Saturday that Ishaq Dar, who was the Leader of the House in Senate since last quarter of 2022, would be designated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the slot.

The prime minister is deemed to be the Leader of the House in Senate and National Assembly both as per the Constitution. He appointed a member from the upper house to represent him during the proceedings of the house and dealing with affairs of the house. The sources pointed out that hectic parliamentary activities would be witnessed in the federal capital from tomorrow (Monday) as the National Assembly’s second session would be resuming in the afternoon of the day.

Quaid of the Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) Nawaz Sharif will also be in Islamabad on Monday. He will cast his vote in the Senate election on the following day. He will have important meetings during his stay in the federal capital.

The sources hinted that Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, who has been elected as Member of the National Assembly (MNA) uncontested from Nawabshah seat vacated by her father Asif Ali Zardari, could take oath of membership on Monday provided notification of her election is issued by the commencement of the sitting of NA. Otherwise, she will have to wait till the third session, which is being planned for the last week of next month.

The sources reminded that Ishaq Dar of PMLN and Rana Mahmood-ul-Hasan of PPP would conveniently win the two seats allocated to the federal capital. The two parties are jointly contesting the polls and their strength in the house is more than 200, while their opponent SIC has support of about 90 members. The ratio was seen in election of prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly and lately in the presidential contest. Rumour of appointing Ishaq Dar after the Senate elections couldn’t be confirmed by the quarters concerned. PMLN stalwarts like Senator Pervez Rashid, Professor Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar and Ahad Cheema are also going to be part of the house but the sources maintained that broad agreement has been reached on Ishaq Dar being the leader of house.

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar had served as leader of house before Ishaq Dar. Ishaq Dar is the candidate from the federal capital on technocrat’s seat. Another stalwart of the PML-N Anusha Rehman Khan is also joining the upper house of parliament. She has been tipped to become Deputy Chairperson of the Senate. She is an eminent lawyer and already member of the National Assembly (MNA). She will vacate the berth of lower house after her election to the upper house.

Chairman Senate will be from the PPP as per formula agreed between the PMLN and PPP. Former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani of PPP would be the next Chairman of Senate, the sources added.