PTI’s Dr Sania Nishtar resigns as senator

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Sania Nishtar has tendered her resignation from the membership of Senate. She has sent her resignation to the Senate Secretariat.

“I can confirm that she has forwarded her resignation as senator to the Senate Secretariat. She has joined a global body on child vaccination as its head,” said PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram when approached on telephone.

Dr Sania Nishtar was appointed by the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on January 11, 2024. She joined Gavi as its chief executive officer on March 18. Sania had made her way to the Upper House of Parliament in 2021 for a term of six years. Her resignation will indeed weaken the numerical strength of PTI, which as per the Senate of Pakistan website has 17 senators. Her bowing out will reduce the party to 16.

But there remains uncertainty regarding the fate of two more PTI senators, Faisal Saleem Rehman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimour from Punjab, allegedly in relation to the 26th Constitutional Amendment as per media reports. 

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had also told the media that apparently, both these senators were on the other side and could vote for the amendment. After the eventful amendment, the Senate has so far held four sittings. Dr Zarqa has remained absent whereas Faisal Saleem was present in the House on October 28 and on leave the next day.