11 senators elected unopposed from Punjab

LAHORE: All the 11 senators including five each of PTI, PML-N and one of PML-Q got elected unopposed after other candidates withdrew their nomination papers.

Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Pervaiz Elahi played a key role in convincing the stakeholders to evolve a consensus in the poll process to block the way of horse trading. This is noteworthy that in March 2009 as well, consensus was developed amongst the PPP, PML-N and PML-Q due to which all the 11 senators had got elected unopposed.

Those who got elected unopposed included Kamil Ali Agha (PML-Q), Saif Ullah Niazi (PTI), Afnan Ullah Khan (PML-N), Ejaz Chaudhry (PTI), Aon Abbas (PTI), Sajid Mir (PML-N backed), Irfan Siddiqui (PML-N), Azam Nazir Tarar (PML-N), Syed Ali Zafar (PTI), Zarqa Suharwardi (PTI) and Sadia Abbasi of PML-N.

Sadia Abbasi is the sister of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and its her third term as Senator. Sajid Mir and Kamil Ali Agha have also served as senators previously. Afnan Ullah is the son of former senator and PML-N stalwart late Mushahidullah Khan.