Gilani achieves rare feat

ISLAMABAD: PPP senior leader Yusuf Raza Gilani was Tuesday elected unopposed as the Senate Chairman and earned the unique distinction of being the prime minister, National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman in the country’s parliamentary history.

Gilani was the National Assembly speaker in the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto government from 1993-1997. He was elected as prime minister by a two-thirds majority and stayed in the office from 2008 to 2012.

After his election as the opposition candidate from Islamabad during the government of Imran Khan, he was nominated as the opposition candidate for the top slot of Senate chairman in 2021 but technically lost the election, as the presiding officer had rejected seven votes cast in his favor and declared his opponent Sadiq Sanjrani as the winner.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has congratulated Gilani for being elected unopposed as the Senate chairman.

Soon after assuming the charge of the office, Gilani visited the Zardari House to meet Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.