Senate number game enters interesting phase as PPP and PML N fight for Chairmanship

ISLAMABAD- The Senate number game has entered an interesting phase as bothlargest parties PMLN and PPP are vowing to bring their own Chairman Senate.

PML-N has better chances of securing the chairmanship of Senate. With 33senators already in hand, it requires 20 more to install its man on the topslot. If 10 members from PML-N’s allied parties – Pakhtunkhwa Milli AwamiParty (PkMAP) and National Party (NP) who have five senators each – arecounted in, the strength rises to 43.

The PML-N will be still short of 10 members to make up the requiredstrength, and the gap could easily be filled if Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl(five members), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (five members) andPakistan Muslim League-Functional (1 member) stand by the ruling party.However, it is still to be seen which way these three parties sway.

In case of PPP, it has 20 members in the Upper House – and is short of 33to clinch the top position. If Awami National Party’s one member is added,it will still require 32 members to grab the top slot.

PML-N with 33 senators in hand is in a better position to clinch toppositions PPP with 20 own members struggling hard to win support of allies,independent members

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (12 members), Balochistan NationalParty-Mengal (1 member) and Jamat-e-Islami (two members) are most likely tosit on the opposition benches.

In this scenario, independent candidates (15 members) have a crucial roleto play as they can change the scenario with the choice of their alliance.

Addressing a news conference in Karachi earlier in the day, PPP chiefBilawal Bhutto claimed that his party was in contact with all theopposition parties to bring a candidate for the top slot in the Upper Houseof parliament. “We will try to get elected our chairman in Senate with thesupport of other opposition parties,” he told reporters.

A PPP delegation comprising Dr Abdul Qayyum Soomro, Faisal Karim Kundi andAli Madad Jatak also flew to Quetta and met Balochistan Chief Minister MirAbdul Quddus Bizenjo to seek the support of six newly elected independentsenators from Balochistan.

The PTI also approached Bizenjo as well as newly elected independentsenators from the province to win their support. Jehangir Tareen telephonedfreshly elected Anwarul Haq Kakar and invited him along with other senatorsto join the Imran-led party.