Prime Minister Imran Khan has named Sadiq Sanjrani to be PTI candidate for the office of Senate Chairman.
Minister for Information Shibli Faraz announced the prime minister’s pick for the leader of the upper house in a tweet on Thursday.
There seems another rift in the party over candidature of Sanjrani after reported controversy over Dr Hafeez Sheikh. Sources has said that many party members did not want to see Sanjrani as chairman again and wanted a genuine party activist or member for the high office.
Sources said the there is confusion in the party ranks. If the PTI did not support Sanjrani, it will annoy the Balochistan Awami Party, which is now the fourth largest party in the Senate and second largest party in the ruling alliance after the PTI.
The ruling party has not yet named its candidate for the office of deputy chairman of Senate.
THE OPPOSITION: Meanwhile, the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has yet to name its candidates for the two offices. However, several leaders, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, have hinted that Yousuf Raza Gilani will be the candidate for the office of chairman.
Besides the Senate top offices, the opposition parties have to pick the next opposition leader as the current leader, Raja Zafarul Haq, who was among 52 retiring senators, did not contest the election.
Interestingly, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has lost its position as the second largest party in the Senate to the PPP. Both the parties have 20 and 18 seats, respectively. Therefore, the PML-N cannot lay claim to the position of the opposition leader.
At present, the opposition alliance has majority in the 100-member house – with 53 – seats to the ruling alliance which has 47 seats.
The chairman and deputy chairman will be elected through secret ballot on March 12.
