Dark horse emerges favourite for Chairman Senate slot

ISLAMABAD – A dark horse from Balochistan Sadiq Sanjrani has emergedfavorite for the slot of Chairman Senate leaving behind the PPP and PML Ncandidates.

Independent Balochistan senator-elect Sadiq Sanjrani has emerged as a topcontender for the post of Senate chairman, with the PakistanTehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), PPP, MQM-P and Baloch senators reportedly reachingconsensus on his nomination for the March 12 election, according to sources.

Sadiq Sanjrani was nomintaed by the joint panel of PTI and IndependentSenators panel from Balochistan.

The PTI had earlier on Friday announced that it would vote for neither thePPP nor the PML-N’s nominees during the election for Senate chairman. A daylater, however, the PTI announced that it would vote for the panelannounced by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo in connectionwith the election for the Senate’s top posts.

On Sunday, the party announced its support for Sanjrani, already backed byCM Bizenjo, as its pick for the post. The PTI will also be backing thePPP’s nominee for deputy chairman Senate, who will be a part of Bizenjo’spanel, as per an agreement with the Balochistan CM.

Sanjrani, an independent senator from Balochistan, is considered close tothe PPP leadership and may be backed by the ruling party in Sindh ─ inexchange for his support to the PPP’s proposed deputy chairman ─ and byfour out of five MQM-P senators, who have also extended their support tothe PPP’s nominee for deputy chairman, according to well-placed sources.

Although the PPP’s pick for deputy chairman has yet to be announcedpublicly, Saleem Mandviwala is considered to be the front-runner for theposition, the source said.

PTI’s inclination towards PPP’s candidate emerged after a meeting betweenBalochistan CM Bizenjo and PTI Chairman Imran Khan at the latter’s BaniGala residence on Sunday. Bizenjo was accompanied by a delegation ofindependent senators-elect from the province.

During the meeting, Khan announced his support for any candidate the PPPputs up for the post of deputy chairman as per an agreement with Bizenjo.