Senate may meet on 9th

ISLAMABAD: The Senate is expected to meet for its inaugural session of the new year on April 9 in which the newly-elected members of Upper House of Parliament would be administered oath.

According to parliamentary sources, following the recent appointment of Senator-elect Ishaq Dar as presiding officer because of the slots of chairman and deputy chairman Senate lying vacant, preparations are afoot to summon the session.

Both Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi had completed their three-year terms as chairman and deputy chairman before the recent Senate elections. Therefore, it was necessary to appoint a presiding officer prior to the Senate session. It is for the first time that the House would be holding a session without polling in the provincial assembly for 11 vacant seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hence, the now 96-member Senate will be shy of 11 members when it meets. “So far, there is no indication from the government that the election to fill the posts of Senate chairman and deputy chairman will be held after the oath-taking of new members. There is no legal bar as well in conducting polling to elect the custodian of the House and his deputy,” an expert said.