<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" version="2.0"><channel>
                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
                        <atom:link href="https://tribune.com.pk/feed/senatepoll" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
                        <link>https://tribune.com.pk/feed/senatepoll</link>
                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
                        <lastBuildDate>Sun, 31 May 26 06:14:26 +0500</lastBuildDate>
                        <language>en-US</language>
                        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
                        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
                        <generator>https://laravel.com/</generator><item>
			<title>Govt to respect SC’s guidance on Senate's open ballot: FM Qureshi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2283248/govt-to-respect-scs-guidance-on-senates-open-ballot-fm-qureshi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2283248/govt-to-respect-scs-guidance-on-senates-open-ballot-fm-qureshi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 21 10:02:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2283248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said opposition is against open ballot elections for political scoring]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said the government will follow and accept the guidance of the Supreme Court in the case of open ballot in Senate elections.&nbsp;

President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday signed off the Election Amendment Ordinance 2021 under which the upcoming Senate elections can be held through open balloting.

The amendment has been introduced in section 33, 86 and 122 of the Election Act 2017. The federal government also sought the Supreme Court&#39;s opinion on whether the Senate elections could be held through open ballot by amending the Election Act 2017 that requires simple legislation.

The foreign minister said the PTI-led government has filed a petition in the court and the government has two options, either to seek guidance or make an amendment in the Constitution, for which two-thirds majority is required in the Parliament.&nbsp;

He added that the opposition parties had been demanding for open balloting for senate elections in the past but they are now opposing it for the sake of political scoring.

The country&#39;s top diplomat maintained that&nbsp;the government had invited the opposition for dialogue and had provided a chance to them to work through differences in a democratic way, however, the opportunity was not taken by the opposition.&nbsp;

Referring to the opposition&#39;s claims&nbsp;in regards to the army&rsquo;s role in the politics of the&nbsp;country, he said that the armed forces were protecting the borders and guarding the security of the country. &ldquo;Politicians should not politicise the role of armed forces,&rdquo; he added.

Qureshi also paid tribute to the martyrs in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and&nbsp;said that the government of Pakistan is raising the matter of the atrocities of the Indian fascist regime against innocent Kashmiris at all world fora and will continue to support the oppressed Kashmiris.

Senate elections have previously always been held through secret ballot and federal government&#39;s decision to alter the practice has been met with disapproval from the Election Commission of Pakistan, all opposition parties as well as all bar associations.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Shah-Mehmood-Qureshi1584533389-2/Shah-Mehmood-Qureshi1584533389-2.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Payback: PM compensates ‘betrayed’ Senate nominee</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/349264/payback-pm-compensates-%e2%80%98betrayed%e2%80%99-senate-nominee</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/349264/payback-pm-compensates-%e2%80%98betrayed%e2%80%99-senate-nominee#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 12 04:41:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ah.nizami]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=349264</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Aslam Gill, who lost recent Senate polls in Punjab, has been made ‘special assistant’.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday announced appointment of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) nominee for a Senate seat from Punjab Aslam Gill as his ‘special assistant’ with the status of a federal minister.


While addressing a public gathering in Mirpur, the premier mentioned Gill’s defeat in the recent election for the upper house of parliament and announced his appointment as his adviser. Gilani said that some of PPP’s lawmakers had cheated Gill. “The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) knows how to honour its supporters. We’re investigating who betrayed the party,” he added.

In his other engagements during his second visit to the state in quick succession, Prime Minister Gilani unveiled plans of building an international airport in Mirpur city and laid the foundation stones of two mega projects in AJK – one a university, the other a bridge.

He announced that Mirpur would soon be air-linked with the rest of the world through the establishment of an international airport in the city. He revealed that the funds required for the construction of the proposed airport would be earmarked in the coming fiscal year’s national budget.

Pledging to extend full moral, political and diplomatic support to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the prime minister said that Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination.

“Pakistan is taking keen interest for the speedy progress and prosperity in AJK,” he said.

Underlining the priorities of his government for the development of all sectors of the country, including AJK, Premier Gilani said that his party intended to resolve all problems, including load shedding in the region. He said that the Mangla dam project, which he had recently inaugurated, would help bring about an economic revolution in the country besides overcoming the issue of load-shedding in the country.

Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed on Monday declared that Pakistan was the ultimate destination of the people of AJK.

“Kashmiris are firmly with Pakistan,” he said while addressing the public meeting. “Kashmiris are highly thankful of the 180 million people, the government of Pakistan and the political parties for their just and principled stance on the Kashmir issue.”

Majeed also extended his gratitude to the government of Pakistan for extending liberal financial assistance for the execution of two mega projects which, he added, will open new avenues of economic progress and prosperity for AJK.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/349264-gilanisombre-1331613631/349264-gilanisombre-1331613631.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate top slots: Allies back PPP nominees Bokhari, Baloch</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348454/senate-top-slots-allies-back-ppp-nominees-bokhari-baloch</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348454/senate-top-slots-allies-back-ppp-nominees-bokhari-baloch#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 12 05:17:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=348454</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Half of upper house to retire today.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A meeting of coalition parties at the Presidency late Saturday night endorsed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) move to retain the top slots of the Senate – a house in which the ruling party now has an imposing presence.


A statement by presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar confirmed that the meeting backed the PPP’s move to appoint the incumbent Leader of the House Senator Nayyer Hussain Bokhari as the next Senate chairman, and Senator Sabir Baloch from Balochistan as the replacement of outgoing Senator Jan Muhammad Jamali as deputy chairman.

The official retirement of half of the Senate will take place today (March 11), following which the PPP will hold 41 of the 104 seats in the upper house of Parliament. The election of the offices of chairman and deputy chairman will be held on Monday (March 12), said the statement.

In Saturday night’s meeting, wherein the decision was confirmed, President Asif Ali Zardari urged the coalition partners to support the PPP nominees, said the statement. It added that all the allied parties attending the meeting endorsed the suggestion of the president and said that they would support the PPP nominees for these slots. The allied parties leaders also expressed the hope that both Senators Bokhari and Baloch would be elected unopposed, said the statement.

President Zardari, a few days ago, had reportedly refused to comply with demands of his allied partners for the slots.  The outgoing Senate chairman, Farooq H Naek, is likely to be appointed as minister for law.

Besides the president and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the meeting was attended by Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Senator Babar Khan Ghauri, Senator Tahir Mashhadi, Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, Munir Khan Orakzai and Engr Shaukat Ullah.

The meeting also took stock of the latest political situation including the president’s forthcoming address of Parliament.

On Friday, President Zardari had summoned both houses of Parliament for March 17, primarily for his speech in which the president usually lays guidelines for the government’s economic and diplomatic policies.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/348454-Sair-1331443096/348454-Sair-1331443096.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Coalition endorses Nayyar Bukhari, Sabir Baloch nomination for top Senate seats</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348363/coalition-endorses-nayyar-bukhari-sabir-baloch-nomination-for-top-senate-seats</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348363/coalition-endorses-nayyar-bukhari-sabir-baloch-nomination-for-top-senate-seats#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 12 19:27:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=348363</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[They will stand election for Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate on Monday, March 12.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its coalition partners have decided to nominate Senator Nayyer Hussain Bukhari for the slot of the Chairman and Senator Sabir Baloch from Balochistan for the slot of Deputy Chairman Senate, a statement from the Presidency said.

The names were decided upon during a meeting of heads of allied parties at the Presidency on Saturday night with Co-Chairman PPP President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The nominees will have to stand for election on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mr. Asfandyar Wali Khan, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Senator Babar Khan Ghauri, Senator Tahir Mashhadi, Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, Munir Khan Orakzai and Engr Shaukat Ullah.

PPP leaders, Syed Khurshid Shah, Senator Nayyar Hussain Bukhari , Leader of House in Senate, Raja Pervez Ashraf, MNA  and Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar were also present during the meeting.

Spokesperson to the President Senator-elect Farhatullah Babar said that the PPP Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the allied parties to the meeting and said that the PPP wished to nominate Senator Nayyer Hussain Bukhari for the slot of the Chairman and Senator Sabir Baloch from Balochistan for the slot of Deputy Chairman Senate.

The President urged the coalition partners to support the PPP in electing its nominees for the offices of Chairman and Deputy Chairman. All the allied parties attending the meeting endorsed the suggestion of the President and said that they will support the PPP nominees for these slots.

The allied parties leaders also expressed the hope that both Nayyer Bukhari and Sabir Baloch will be elected unopposed as Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/348363-Sair-1331407435/348363-Sair-1331407435.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Names finalised: PPP keeps key Senate slots in hand</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348001/names-finalised-ppp-keeps-key-senate-slots-in-hand</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/348001/names-finalised-ppp-keeps-key-senate-slots-in-hand#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 12 04:21:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=348001</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nayyar Hussain Bukhari as chairman, Sabir Baloch deputy and Ishaq Dar leader of the opposition, sources say.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The names are in, and the top slots of the upper house will stay in the hands of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).


President, and co-chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari has decided to appoint Nayyar Hussain Bukhari as the new Senate chairman and Sabir Ali Baloch as deputy chairman, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

The outgoing chairman, Farooq H Naek, would be appointed the Minister for Law while Senator Ishaq Dar will be notified as Leader of the Opposition in Senate, replacing the incumbent Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri.

The new officers, along with 51 other senators, will take their oath on March 12. The sole independent candidate from Punjab, Mohsin Leghari, has decided to sit on the opposition benches. The outgoing Senate chairman will take his oath as federal law minister later, sources said.

Allies rebuffed

President Zardari categorically refused to accommodate allies’ candidates for top slots in the upper house, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

“The time for people to stand up and blackmail the PPP by showing their numbers has passed,” sources quoted President Zardari telling party’s senior leadership.

With 41 seats out of 104 in hand, the PPP is the single-largest party in the upper house after the recent elections.

The president, during his meetings with allies last week, refused to comply with their demands, sources said.

Both the Awami National Party and the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement, with 12 and seven senators each, had expressed their interest in the deputy chairman slot, but were rebuffed, sources added.

The decision of Bukhari’s appointment as chairman was also confirmed by the deputy nominee, Baloch. He said he has been comfortable working with Bukhari in the past.

About his own appointment as deputy chairman, Bukhari said he will raise the voice of the Baloch people from this post.

“It is gratifying for the people of Balochistan to get the slot of deputy chairman,” said Baloch who was elected a senator from the province in 2009.

Bukhari, the chairman nominee, was elected from the federal capital, and has been serving as as Leader of the House in the Senate.

Making the choice

Sources in the party said the president took the senior leadership into confidence over Bukhari and Baloch’s names.

The other two names that made the rounds earlier - Senator Raza Rabbani and Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan – were dropped for their rigidity and principled stances, sources said.

Bukhari, meanwhile, was a confidant of former premier and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, and was nominated as a party senator in 2003 elections to the upper house under Pervez Musharraf.

Dar, a confidant of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, was also elected a senator in 2003.

According to the Constitution, the chairman and his deputy are elected for three years. The outgoing chairman takes oath from the newly-elected senators and the new chairman, who subsequently takes an oath from his freshly-appointed deputy.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/348001-ppp-1331353174/348001-ppp-1331353174.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Pork-barrel politics</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/347281/pork-barrel-politics</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/347281/pork-barrel-politics#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 12 18:40:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Dr Pervez Tahir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=347281</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[While funds allocated to legislators are part of development budget, no PC-I is prepared for schemes they identified.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Soon after the Senate elections, the Balochistan High Court was approached to proceed against an MPA for voting in exchange for the release of development funds ‘due’ to him. Before that, the Senators refused to pass the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution — meant to facilitate transparent elections — as their lapsed development funds had not been released. In similar situations in the United States, when public funds are especially allocated to benefit the constituents of individual legislators, the derogative expression of pork-barrel politics is used to describe them. I dare not translate the term in Urdu, as that would be considered even more derogatory.

A beneficiary Senator from the PML-N has protested that the media misconstrued the whole affair. The money was not going into his pocket. His role was only to identify schemes where the funds would be used, with the concerned government agencies, later implementing them after preparing a PC-I (a form provided by the Planning Commission that is filled by government agencies for details about various development projects that they may be pursuing).

This is mostly true. The Senator is right that preparing the PC-I is the normal and proper route for utilising the development budget. But the good Senator ought to know that while the funds allocated to legislators are part of the development budget, no PC-I is prepared for the schemes identified by them. Money is disbursed through government agencies, to politically chosen contractors and there is no monitoring of the implementation of these schemes. Nor has there been an evaluation of these schemes in the proper sense of the term. In cases where a scheme is completed, there is no ownership for its maintenance in the future. Abandoned structures, buildings used for purposes other than what they were originally intended for, poorly-staffed health units and schools, malfunctioning water supply schemes, poles without electricity and disconnected gas lines are only some of the familiar sights.

In Pakistan, the author of pork-barrel politics was, none other than Ziaul Haq, who allocated specific funds for the members of his hand-picked Majlis-i-Shura. This practice continued under various names: the MNAs/MPAs programme under Junejo, the Peoples Programme under the PPP governments and the Tameer-i-Watan Programme under Nawaz Sharif, who also extended it to the Senators.

Former president general Pervez Musharraf, the arch-enemy of corrupt politicians, improved upon the ideas of General Zia by taking pork-barrel politics to greater heights and extended it to the indirectly elected women and minority legislators. It was renamed as the Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP) and divided into KPP-I and KPP-II. The former allocated fixed annual sums to the legislators, while the latter, involving a much larger amount, was placed at the discretion of the chief executive.

As in many other cases, the PPP government has continued with this Musharraf legacy. Only the nomenclature has changed to the Peoples Works Programme (PWP). In the current year’s budget, the allocation for PWP-I was Rs5 billion and that for PWP-II was Rs28 billion. Whatever the level of the fiscal deficit, these programmes are never scaled down.

In the last fiscal year, for the first time, some of the money was diverted to relief programmes for flood victims. Senators, who do not have flood-affected constituents, couldn’t care less and got their money back when the opportunity presented itself. How the lapsed money can be restored constitutionally is not their concern either.

Political programmes, estimated to be one-fifth of the development budget when special packages are also included, are not a speciality of the federal government alone. In Punjab, for example, pork barrel money has risen sharply from 6.5 per cent of the development budget in 2006-07 to 19 per cent in 2010-11.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/347281-DrPervezTahir-1331222775/347281-DrPervezTahir-1331222775.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate top slot: Race heats up with new entrants</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346614/senate-top-slot-race-heats-up-with-new-entrants</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346614/senate-top-slot-race-heats-up-with-new-entrants#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 12 01:42:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346614</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP members and coalition partners agreed that the final decision would be made by President Zardari.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[With an addition to the list of contenders, the battle for the top slot in Senate intensified on Tuesday, making the choice even more difficult for President Asif Ali Zardari. Coalition partners, meanwhile, attempted to claim the second spot of deputy chairman.


The incumbent, Farooq H Naek, now appears to be a contender as well.

“I think the incumbent Senate chairman has the trust of the president and is most likely to continue his job,” said Senator Tariq Azeem of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.

Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan can be a strong candidate for the slot, only if the president formally decides to replace the trustworthy Naek, insiders told The Express Tribune.

“Aitzaz can replace Naek if he wins the support of Zardari, which appears to be difficult at the moment,” said a sitting PPP senator.

Leader of the House in Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Senators Raza Rabbani and Babar Awan are among other leaders in the race.

Sources say Awan and Sabir Baloch, presently considered to be very close to the Presidency, are extensively maneuvering for the slots.

Senator Rabbani, however, appears to be falling behind – he was not invited to a meeting held at the Presidency late Tuesday night, sources said.

“I will work in line with the party policy,” said Senator Rabbani. “The party top leadership will take the ultimate decision,” he added while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Deputy slot

The president also discussed the issue with coalition partners at the Presidency on Tuesday. Sources say the president said that a person of Baloch ethnicity should be appointed as Senate deputy chairman.

Meanwhile, leaders of coalition partners – the Awami National Party (ANP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid – have also been trying to convince President Zardari for the slot of deputy chairman in Senate, said a participant who attended the meeting.

Leader of Fata senators Munir Khan Orakzai also requested the PPP leadership for this slot but withdrew his demand later, sources said.

Participants of the meeting also confirmed a harsh exchange between ANP and MQM when the latter proposed the name of Babar Ghauri, saying he can be a representative Baloch.

The coalition partners agreed that the final decision would be made by President Zardari.

During this meeting, the president also recommended that general elections be held in March 2013 as originally scheduled.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/346614-officechair-1331084269/346614-officechair-1331084269.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Politics: the art of riding people?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346367/politics-the-art-of-riding-people</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346367/politics-the-art-of-riding-people#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 12 18:22:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[khaled.ahmed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346367</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is a tragedy that 'siyasat' today has a pejorative aspect and Urdu sometimes uses it as an insult.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Politics is usually another name for horse-trading. When elections are held for the Senate or National Assembly, news about horse-trading dominates the media. Why should the noble animal horse be used to explain the low activity of buying and selling candidates? If you investigate the Urdu word ‘siyasat’ (politics), you will realise that politics was once considered a noble profession.

Bernard Lewis, in his book The Political Language of Islam (OUP), tells us how horse-riding came to mean privilege in all parts of the world, including the world of Islam. The word ‘siyasa’ or ‘siyasat’, used by Muslims in their different languages is derived from an ancient Middle Eastern word for ‘horse’. In classical Arabic, it means to ‘groom the horse’ or to ‘train the horse’.

The word in Urdu for the groom of the horse is ‘saees’, but we don’t connect it to siyasat. It is a tragedy that siyasat today has a pejorative aspect and Urdu sometimes uses it as an insult. The implication that men of siyasat ‘ride the people’ rather than the horse is quite strong.

The horse became the symbol of power, bravery and status all over the world. The horse entered the territory of the camel from Central Asia. The Arabs bred the best horse and today, the most sought after racing breed is called Arabian.

In Hebrew, the word for horse is ‘soos’. This relates directly to ‘siyasat’. But in Arabic, the word for horse is ‘faras’. Hence, the other epithet of praise derived from the horse is ‘furusiya’ meaning ‘being knowledgeable about the horse’. Its derived meaning is ‘being gifted in intellect’. The Urdu word we use to describe intellectual gift is ‘farasat’ (horse-sense). The epithets are rooted in the Arabic word for horse, ‘faras’.

Horse used to imply dignity. There was an entire dynasty in ancient Persia that named its best sons after the horse. The Persian word for horse is ‘asp’. The ancestor of Zoroaster was Haechadaspa, (one who sprinkles the horse with water). It is from him that the ending ‘–asp’ became fashionable. Zoroaster, however, means ‘yellow camel’, Zartusht.

The Kayani dynasty had many kings with the horse suffix. Gushtasp (having an alert horse), was the Kayanid with whom Zoroaster began his mission. The son of Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavids, was Tahmasp (owner of a strong horse). In Pakistan, many Kayanis are still named with the horse suffix; for instance, Lahrasp.

In India, because of the Aryan background of the Hindu religion, the name Ashvini recalls the link with Persia. ‘Ashva’ (horse) in Sanskrit is a changed form of Persian and Avestan ‘asp’. ‘Ashvin’ in Sanskrit means ‘mounted on horseback’. It is also the name of the Zodiac sign Gemini, and one month in the Hindi calendar is Ashvina, known in Punjab as ‘Assu’. Ashvini also means ‘wealthy’ because of possession of horses.

In Europe, horse not only bestowed respect, but also gave rise to a code of decent behaviour called ‘chivalry’. Chivalry is derived from ‘cheval’, which is French for horse. The original Greek ‘kaballes’ was considered alien (more familiar was hippos) but in Latin, it took root as ‘caballus’ or ‘packhorse’.

Roman soldiers made the word respectable by using it for horses as a slang word. The Italian version of the name is ‘cavallo’ from where another English word ‘cavalier’ is taken. If ‘chivalry’ is attention to good manners, a ‘cavalier’ attitude may mean a disregard for form. ‘Cavalcade’ and ‘cavalry ‘are the other derivatives where horse may no longer be in evidence. Cavalry today, is made up of tanks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/346367-KhaledAhmedNew-1331052869/346367-KhaledAhmedNew-1331052869.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Balochistan Senate poll: PML-N files appeal in ECP demanding recount</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346193/balochistan-senate-poll-pml-n-files-appeal-in-ecp-demanding-recount</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346193/balochistan-senate-poll-pml-n-files-appeal-in-ecp-demanding-recount#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 12 07:10:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346193</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In the appeal, PML-N says that the provincial presiding officer was complicit with the candidates.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday filed an appeal in the Election Commission of Pakistan demanding a recount of the Senate elections results, Express News reported.

In the appeal, the party says that the provincial presiding officer was complicit with the candidates.

PML-N provincial chief Sanaullah Zehri had earlier alleged that the senate elections in Balochistan were rigged and that the party will take the matter to the court. He also alleged that the chief election commissioner of Balochistan was a “biased and dishonest person”.

Zehri had also said that election rules were violated during the vote count, which resulted in a PPP candidate winning the general seat in Senate.

In order to substantiate his point, Zehri had said that the ECP had upheld its results without a recount.

He told a questioner that his party had pointed out that only 63 out of the 65 required votes had been cast by the Balochistan Assembly.

On Monday, the ECP had upheld its earlier decision on the results of seven general seats of Senate from Balochistan.

The commission had earlier withheld the results after a number of applications were filed to the returning officers, requesting a recount in the province.

Returning Officer Abdul Jabbar Jamali after hearing the applicants had maintained his declaration on the vote count.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/346193-Election-1331016735/346193-Election-1331016735.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections fallout: Angry PML-N rejects Balochistan results as rigged</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346028/senate-elections-fallout-angry-pml-n-rejects-balochistan-results-as-rigged</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346028/senate-elections-fallout-angry-pml-n-rejects-balochistan-results-as-rigged#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 12 04:40:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[qamar.zaman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346028</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Decides to take matter to SC, ECP; National Party leader files petition in BHC.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Monday that the Balochistan Senate election results were valid, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) put its foot down and decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court (SC).


“Senate elections have been rigged in Balochistan,” PML-N provincial chief Sanaullah Zehri said while addressing a press conference. He was accompanied by MNA Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

“We will knock the door of the SC and Election Commission of Pakistan for justice,” Zehri said, while alleging “(the) chief election commissioner of Balochistan is a biased and dishonest person”.

Zehri added that election rules were violated during the vote count, which resulted in a PPP candidate winning the general seat in Senate.

In order to substantiate his point, Zehri said that the ECP upheld its results without a recount. He told a questioner that his party had pointed out that only 63 out of the 65 required votes had been cast by the Balochistan Assembly.

Earlier in the day, the ECP upheld its earlier decision about winning candidates against seven general seats of Senate from Balochistan.

Officials from the ECP told The Express Tribune that the results were withheld following several complaints of rigging and demands of a recount.

There were 19 candidates for seven general seats from Balochistan. Awami National Party (ANP) leader Dawood Khan was declared winner on a seat which caused most controversy, prompting even the speaker of Balochistan Assembly to file complaints.

National Party Complaints

The National Party also joined the chorus of parties dissatisfied with the Balochistan results. A Balochistan High Court division bench approved a constitutional petition filed by the party’s General Secretary Mir Tahir Bizenjo.

Bizenjo alleged that horse-trading had taken place on a large-scale during Senate elections and appealed for a re-election.

The court has issued notices and sought replies from the Government of Balochistan and the chief election commissioner of Balochistan by March 12.

Not just Balochistan

It’s not only the Balochistan senate elections which have caused a hue and cry, however. A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry praying to set aside all the results of senate elections, saying they were based on pre-poll rigging.

The petition was filed by Barrister Zafarullah Khan, contending that during the senate elections political parties and the government paid million of rupees to parliamentarians to get their votes.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM SHEHZAD BALOCH IN QUETTA AND RANA TANVEER IN LAHORE)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/346028-Election-1331008767/346028-Election-1331008767.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Aftermath: After Senate win, PPP, allies weigh options</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346099/aftermath-after-senate-win-ppp-allies-weigh-options</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346099/aftermath-after-senate-win-ppp-allies-weigh-options#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 12 00:06:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346099</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Discuss candidates for Senate top slot, relations with judiciary.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Losing an almost guaranteed Senate seat has clearly left a bitter taste for the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – despite the heavy presence it now holds in the upper house of Parliament.


According to sources, President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered an inquiry into the shock defeat of PPP candidate from Punjab Aslam Gill who lost to a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)-affiliated independent candidate, Mohsin Leghari.

Senior PPP leaders, including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Raja Pervez Ashraf have been tasked to probe the matter and report back to the president within 15 days.

A meeting of key federal ministers and the senior leadership of the PPP at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday had discussed the loss in detail – and, after a lack of concrete answers, the president ordered the inquiry.

Following the elections sources had alleged that the loss was more difficult to swallow given that the president’s highly-influential sister, MNA Faryal Talpur, had personally planned out the entire strategy to ensure that the PPP’s seats were secured smoothly.

But at Monday’s meeting, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani were also cognizant that they needed to look ahead following the Senate elections.

Leadership change

In a meeting later in the evening with the chiefs of coalition partners, the president and the PPP leadership discussed the options of leadership change in the Senate.

Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, who himself has won a Senate seat, said that the meetings were convened to discuss the elections for the chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate and will consider the names of possible candidates.

President Asif Ali Zardari, officials from the party told The Express Tribune, was consulting top leaders of the PPP, as well as coalition partners, and would announce his choice in a day or two.

According to sources the PPP is considering three stalwarts for the slot of chairman – and former Law Minister Dr Babar Awan is supposedly the frontrunner. Interestingly, among others being considered for the coveted slot, according to sources, are Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Senator Raza Rabbani.

At the allied parties’ meeting, it was decided that the new deputy chairman of the Senate should be from Balochistan – but there wasn’t consensus on any name.

Also it was not immediately known what new assignment would be given to the incumbent Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek.

Other things

Among other things discussed was also the president’s upcoming address to a joint session of Parliament – which will be the incumbent’s fifth address.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/346099-ppp-1330992291/346099-ppp-1330992291.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>ECP upholds Senate results from Balochistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/345763/ecp-upholds-senate-results-from-balochistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/345763/ecp-upholds-senate-results-from-balochistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 12 13:54:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=345763</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The commission had earlier withheld results after applications were filed requesting a recount in the province.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday upheld its earlier decision on the results of seven general seats of Senate from Balochistan, officials told The Express Tribune.

The commission had earlier withheld the results after a number of applications were filed to the returning officers, requesting a recount in the province.

Returning Officer Abdul Jabbar Jamali after hearing the applicants today maintained his declaration on the vote count, officials added.

From the seven general seats, contested by 18 candidates, the initial victors were said to be Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi of PPP, (son of governor Balochistan), Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani and Yousuf Baloch of the PPP, Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor of the JUI-F, Mir Israr Zehri of BNP-A, Daud Khan of the ANP and Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail of PML-Q.

Those who had challenged the results also included Balochistan Assembly Speaker Aslam Bhotani and MPA Nawab Shah.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/345763-Election-1330955494/345763-Election-1330955494.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: Balochistan govt directed to stop release of funds to MPA</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/345748/senate-elections-balochistan-govt-directed-to-stop-release-of-funds-to-mpa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/345748/senate-elections-balochistan-govt-directed-to-stop-release-of-funds-to-mpa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 12 11:24:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shezad Baloch]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=345748</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Balochistan High Court admits constitutional petition, orders govt to stop release of funds to Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Balochistan High Court, while admitting a constitutional petition for regular hearing, has directed the provincial government not to release funds worth Rs260 million to MPA Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani. The orders were issued by a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa and Justice Qadir Mengal.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Aslam Bhotani had filed a petition, in which he stated that Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) MPA Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani had confessed in a media talk that he was going to vote for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates after the government had assured him of releasing Rs260 million in provision of different MPA schemes.

Gilani had stated that he was to receive Rs650 million as no funds had been given during the last four years. The petitioner says that such acts are considered to be horse-trading and his election must be declared null and void.

The court approved the constitutional petition for regular hearing and directed the government to stop the issuance of funds. It has also sought details on the release of funds to members of the Balochistan Assembly.

The division bench also approved another constitutional petition filed by National Party (NP) General Secretary Mir Tahir Bizenjo.

Bizenjo alleged that horse-trading on a large scale had taken place during Senate elections and appealed for a reelection.

The court has issued notices and sought replies from the Government of Balochistan and the chief election commissioner of Balochistan by March 12.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/345748-CourtJudgeJustice-1330955998/345748-CourtJudgeJustice-1330955998.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Situationer: What does this victory mean for the PPP?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344825/situationer-what-does-this-victory-mean-for-the-ppp</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344825/situationer-what-does-this-victory-mean-for-the-ppp#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 12 00:57:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[gibran.peshimam]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344825</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP now holds 41 seats (including the 3 withheld Balochistan seats) of the 104-member Senate.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Despite all the rhetoric of conspiracy, the Senate polls did take place. The party that stands victorious following the polls, as expected, is undisputedly the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – which now holds 41 seats (including the 3 withheld Balochistan seats) of the 104-member Senate.


It was therefore no surprise that it was the PPP that was, for months, crying foul about plans to somehow postpone the polls. From theories that said that the National Assembly would be dissolved by undemocratic forces to theories of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) dissolving its own Punjab government in order to leave the electoral college of the Senate polls incomplete, conspiracy was abound.

According to the PPP, including no less than the prime minister himself, forces opposed to it wanted to deny the party a massive Senate presence – the argument being that such massive presence would mean a perpetuation of its power beyond the next elections, which are expected anytime inside the next year.

But how significant, really is the PPP’s victory?

The answer lies in a grey area.

Firstly, the PPP was already the single largest party in the Senate with 27 members. That lead has just been enhanced – dramatically, though – up to 41 members, which is still not a clear majority (requiring 52 seats).

In any case, the Senate, at the end of the day, is not nearly as powerful as the other house of the Parliament, the National Assembly.

While the Federal Cabinet has been made “responsible and accountable” to the Senate under the 18th Amendment, according to constitutional expert SM Zafar, this accountability is only on paper.

Nor are yesterday’s gains reflective of new voter confidence or fresh mandate – after all, the electoral college is the same one that saw the PPP come to power back in 2008. It is, in essence, a delayed victory.

It is true that the any legislation by the National Assembly also requires the Senate’s approval. But at the end of the day, objection by the Senate is not enough to stop legislation. According to constitutional expert SM Zafar, if the deadlock persists, a joint session is called for and the bill voted for again. A joint session would obviously give a heavier advantage to the 342-member National Assembly as opposed to a 104-member Senate.

On a money bill, such as the budget, the Senate cannot even vote. They can “recommend” changes, but the changes are not binding.

But let’s not get that far.

According to analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi, a PPP-dominated legislature will not have “a major impact”, even for a non-PPP government, because “[the two] fight but they do cooperate.” He says that it has happened in the past, and cites the example of the executive in the United States being run by the Democratic Party, while the House of Representatives is run by the opposing Republicans. It still works.

The opposition doesn’t seem too intimidated either.

PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal doesn’t see the PPP’s domination of the Senate as a big problem – even for a future government that will be run by his party. “For all reasonable legislation, they will have to give support … else they will be exposed.”

“Even if they oppose, there will be a joint session.”

Iqbal also recalls that the PMLQ-MMA alliance that ruled the Senate when the incumbent government came to power did not really cause any trouble for the PPP.

While he did once again mention the “conspiracies and hurdles” to the Senate elections, PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira also played down the victory on Friday, simply saying that the victory was another step in the effort to strengthen the democratic system. “It is a victory of the system.”

He continued: “Yes, it will be an advantage, but we will not misuse it (if faced with an opposing government).”

So what was all the commotion about?

There are other advantages – ones that may interest the PPP for different reasons – reasons other than governance and perpetuation of democratic systems. After all, the Senate is the electoral college for the presidential election – one that that has a major say at the end of the day.

Also, the chairperson of the Senate sits in for the president when he’s out of town or incapacitated. And we know the president wouldn’t like strangers in the palace.

Then there is the concept of perceived power. As much as anything else, the Senate elections are a symbolic victory for the PPP. According to Rizvi, “psychologically, it has an impact” … the effect will be more along the lines of “look, the PPP is not dead.”

And that’s where so much of the PPP’s strength is derived from, historically. Just the fact that the elections were held is a victory for the PPP as much as the result itself. Six months ago, people were thinking that the Senate polls would not happen – and would be stopped to stymie the PPP’s progress. That they have happened is a boost to the PPP, because the party had put the polls, which are routine, forward as their personal objective against the plotting of non-democratic forces. As one retired PPP old hand put it well:  “When ‘they’ come – it doesn’t matter what system is in place.”

But, at the end of the day, nothing happened. They were just scheduled polls. That, too, for the Senate.

Outgoing

PML-Q 

Tariq Azim Khan

Wasim Sajjad

Sardar Mohammad Jamal Khan Leghari

Syed Javed Ali Shah

Lt Gen (retd) Javed Asharf

Mohmmad Ali Durrani

Naeem Hussain Chattha

SM Zafar

Haroon Khan

Gulshan Saeed

Nilofer Bakhtiar

Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi

Semeen Siddiqui

Ammar Ahmed Khan

Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman

Mir Mohabat Khan Marri

Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali

Rehana Yahya Baloch

Saeed Ahmed Hashmi

MQM

Ahmed Ali

Syed Tahir Hussain Mashahadi

Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada

PML-F

Syed Sajid Hussain Zaidi

BNP

Mir Israrullah Khan

PKMAP

Abdur Rahim Khan Mandokhail

PML(N)

Mohammad Ishaq Dar

JUI-F

Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro

Muhammad Ismail

Incoming

PML(N)

M Hamza (Punjab, general)

Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa (Punjab, general)

Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Dhandhla (Punjab, general)

Malik Muhmmad Rafique Rajwana (Punjab, general)

Ishaq Dar (Punjab, technocrats)

Nuzhat Sadiq (Punjab, women)

Kamran Michael (Punjab, minorities)

Nisar Mohammad (K-P, general)

ANP

Azam Hoti (K-P, general)

Shahi Syed (K-P, general)

Baz Mohammad Khan (K-P, general)

Zahida Khan (K-P, women)

Ilyas Ahmed Bilour (K-P, technocrats)

Amar Jeet Malhotra (K-P, minorities)

MQM

Mustafa Kamal (Sindh, general)

Tahir Mashhadi (Sindh, general)

Nasreen Jalil (Sindh, women)

Dr Farough Naseem (Sindh, technocrats)

JUI-F

Mufti Abdul Sattar (Balochistan, technocrats)

Haiman Das (Balochistan, minorities)

Mohammad Talha Mahmood (K-P, general)

PPP

Osman Saifullah (Federal capital, technocrats)

Babar Awan (Punjab, general)

Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan (Punjab, technocrats)

Khalida Perveen (Punjab, women)

Raza Rabbani (Sindh, general)

Saeed Ghani (Sindh, general)

Mukhtiar Ali Dhamrah (Sindh, general)

Dr Kareema Khwaja (Sindh, general)

Hari Ram Kishori Lal (Sindh, minorities)

Muddasir Seher Kamran (Sindh, women)

Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (Sindh, technocrats)

Rozi Khan Kakar (Balochistan, technocrats)

Farhatullah Babar (K-P, technocrats)

Rubina Khalid (K-P, women)

Saifullah Bangash (K-P, general)

Ahmed Hassan (K-P, general)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344825-ppp-1330735953/344825-ppp-1330735953.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: Despite drama, upset, PPP comes out on top</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344818/senate-elections-despite-drama-upset-ppp-comes-out-on-top</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344818/senate-elections-despite-drama-upset-ppp-comes-out-on-top#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 12 00:31:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344818</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP grabs 16 seats, PML-N 8, ANP 6, MQM 4, JUI-F 3, PML-Q 3, BNP-A and PML-F one each.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Senate polls had their fair share of drama on Friday – and even one rare upset.

While polling in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa passed without incident or surprise, there was one major upset in Punjab for a candidate of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). In Balochistan, the provincial election commissioner ordered a recount of the seven general seats after protests over the vote-count. The results have been withheld, and the recount will take place today (Saturday) in Islamabad and the result expected to be announced on March 5.

On Friday, a dozen seats were up for grabs from each province, four from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and two from the capital territories. Of the total of 54 seats contested, nine had already been elected unopposed before the polls.

Of a total of 47 seats (minus the seven that will be recounted from Balochistan), the PPP snapped up 16, the principal opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) eight, Awami National Party (ANP) six, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) four, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) three, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) three,  Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) one, Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) one and five were picked up by independent candidates.

Of the seven general seats withheld from Balochistan, three were initially won by the PPP, and one each by the JUI-F, PML-Q, ANP and BNP-A.

Friday’s polls will also spell the complete departure from the Senate for three parties. The Jamaat-e-Islami’s three senators retire on March 11 while Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awam Party (PkMAP) will also lose its presence in the Senate with its sole senator’s retirement – which is also the case with the Jamhoori Watan Party and the PPP-Sherpao.

With the result, and assuming the Balochistan recount keeps the results the same, the PPP now holds 41 seats of the 104-member house, PML-N 14, ANP 12, JUI-F seven, MQM seven, PML-Q five, BNP-A four, PML-F one and National Party-Balochistan one. Independents hold 12 seats.

The upset

The Senate election in Punjab seems to have been a massive upset for the PPP’s hierarchy – particularly for its strategists, among whom the president’s sister, MNA Faryal Talpur, figures prominently.

Despite holding the required numbers in the Punjab Assembly, it lost one seat to an independent candidate. PPP candidate Aslam Gill lost to independent Mohsin Khan Leghari in a stunning upset. Though he is associated with the PML-Q, Leghari contested the polls as an independent after developing differences with his party.

Talpur, who has been in Lahore for the last week, is said to have spearheaded the PPP’s strategy in Punjab, where the party had made three panels to ensure victory for its candidates. Talpur had held one-on-one meetings with each PPP MPA in the Governor House.

Sources in PPP told The Express Tribune that Talpur’s strategy was flawed to begin with – and it was the reason the PPP lost one valuable seat. They said her strategy was to form three panels, one for each contesting candidate (two seats had already been won uncontested), each of 47 members, by dividing PPP and PML-Q MPAs. Sources said this annoyed many party MPAs - who then registered their protest by casting their second-choice votes to Leghari.

The losing PPP candidate immediately cried foul. “PPP MPAs have betrayed me and I will protest over it,” said Gill.

“I thanked MPAs of almost all political parties who supported me and mentioned me as their second priority,” he said. Leghari said he has not yet decided to join any party – however, he said that he was seriously contemplating quitting the PML-Q.

Punjab

PML-N: 7, PPP: 3, PML-Q: 1, Independent: 1

No less than 366 MPAs out of 371 members of the Punjab Assembly cast their ballots. Two seats are vacant, while three are out of the country. Two votes were declared invalid.

The PML-N’s successful candidates were Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, 54 votes, M Hamza, 52, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Dhandhla, 52, and Malik Muhmmad Rafique Rajwana, 51. Earlier, PML-N also had Ishaq Dar elected from the technocrat seat, Kamran Michael from the non-Muslim seat and Nuzhat Sadiq from the women quota.

For the PPP, Dr Babar Awan managed to scrape through on one seat with 47 votes. Earlier, PPP’s Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan on the technocrat seat and Khalida Pervein on the women seat were elected unopposed. PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha (46.4) and an independent candidate, PML-Q MPA Sardar Mohsin Khan Leghari (46.2) also won their seats.

Sindh

PPP: 7, MQM: 4, PML-F: 1

With PPP’s Abdul Hafiz Shaikh and MQM’s Dr Farough Naseem already elected unopposed on technocrat seats, 10 seats were contested in the Sindh Assembly. All 10 candidates of the coalition government walked away successful after 164 of 167 lawmakers cast their votes.

Of the 10 ‘contested’, six candidates were of PPP, three of MQM and one PML-F were declared victors.

From the general seats, PPP saw Raza Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, Mukhtiar Ali Dhamrah and Dr Kareema Khwaja elected to the Senate. MQM had Mustafa Kamal elected while Tahir Mashhadi was re-elected. PML-F saw former Sindh chief minister Muzaffar Ali Shah elected – leaving the only one opposition candidate, Gaffar Qureshi from the PML-Q (Likeminded), defeated comprehensively.

The beating given to the opposition on the non-Muslim seat was also brutal. Hari Ram Kishori Lal of the PPP secured 157 votes – leaving Photo Mal alias Dileep of PML-Q (Likeminded) with only four votes.

Nareen Jalil of the MQM and Muddasir Seher Kamran of the PPP were elected on the women’s seat, defeating Yasmin Farrukh of the PML-Q (Likeminded).

The actual number of votes from the Sindh Assembly is meant to be 168. However, with the result of the Tando Muhammad Khan seat withheld due to an assault inquiry against PPP member Waheeda Shah, only 167 members were eligible to cast their votes. Three MPAs, including former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim of PML-Q (Likeminded), Rashida Panhwar and Rukia Soomro of PPP did not turn up to cast their vote citing different reasons. Arbab Rahim, has, of course, been in self-imposed exile since just after the 2008 elections. Rashida Panhwar did not come due to the death of her mother and Rukia Soomro was on medical leave

Hari Ram Kishori Lal secured 157 votes, Muddasir Seher Kamran 99, Nasreen Jalil 59, Muzaffar Ali Shah 22, Dr. Kareem Khwaja 22, Mukhtiar Ali Dhamrah alia Aijaz 22, Raza Rabbani 22, Saeed Ghani 21, Mustafa Kamal 26 and Tahir Mashhadi 25.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

ANP: 5, PPP: 4, PML-N: 1, JUI-F: 1

The Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ruling coalition managed to elect their candidates.

The polling process remained slow, as only around 80 candidates had cast their vote by the designated time of 4 pm. Polling concluded at around 6 pm, two hours later than the designated time. At around 3:30 pm, the polling staff asked the media to leave the press gallery and they were not allowed in till the announcement of results.

About 122 out of total 124 lawmakers cast their votes. About 20 candidates were in the run for the 12 seats from K-P. Nine candidates were in the run for seven general seats, four females for two women seats, four for two technocrats and two for a single minority seat.

ANP candidate and father of K-P Chief Minister Azam Hoti polled 17 votes, ANP’s Sindh chapter President Shahi Syed 17 and Baz Mohammad Khan 17 to be declared winners. PPP’s successful candidates were Saifullah Bangash with 14 votes and Ahmed Hassan with 18.

JUIF candidate Mohammad Talha Mahmood polled the most number of votes for a general seat, with 23. PML-N’s Nisar Mohammad polled 12 to take the last seat. Independent candidate Shah Faisal Afridi polled about four votes.

For the non-Muslim seat, ANP’s Amar Jeet Malhotra polled 92 votes, beating out PML-Q’s Gulzari Lal who had 18 votes.

ANP’s Zahida Khan polled 60 votes and PPP candidate Rubina Khalid 39 to capture the women’s seats . On the technocrat seat, ANP’s Ilyas Ahmed Bilour secured 53 votes while presidential spokesperson and PPP candidate Farhatullah Babar polled 33.

Balochistan

(Before being withheld for recount) PPP: 4, JUI-F: 3, PML-Q: 2, BNP (Awami): 2, ANP: 1

There was controversy during the polling from Balochistan, after which the province’s election commission ruled that the results would be withheld until a recount which, according to reports, will take place in Islamabad.

The PML-N raised objection to the election of an ANP candidate, Daud Khan. According to unofficial results, 40 candidates contested for 12 slots.

By the end, 63 out of 65 members of the Balochistan Assembly cast their votes. Two opposition members, Mir Bakhtiar Domki and Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, were absent.

From the seven general seats, contested by 18 candidates, the initial victors were said to be Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi of PPP, (son of governor Balochistan), Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani and Yousuf Baloch of the PPP, Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor of the JUI-F, Mir Israr Zehri of BNP-A, Daud Khan of the ANP and Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail of PML-Q.

Their votes will now be recounted.

PML-N could not win a seat since it has only two MPAs in the provincial legislature.

PML-Q candidate Rubina Irfan and Naseema Ehsan of BNP-Awami won the seats reserved for women. Two technocrat seats were clinched by PPP’s Rozi Khan Kakar and JUI-F’s Mufti Abdul Sattar. The JUI-F’s Haiman Das won the non-Muslim minority seat.

Following the unofficial results of women’s seats, counting was stopped for an hour as PLM-N raised objection over rejecting a rejected vote. The counting restarted after the situation cooled down.

FATA

Muhammad Saleh Shah, Malik Najmul Hassan, Hadayat Ullah and Hilalur Rehman, all independent candidates, were declared winners from Fata.

Capital territories

Osman Saifullah of PPP and Mushahid Hussain Syed of PML-Q won uncontested from the technocrats’ and the general seat of the federal capital respectively.

(Read: Senate elections)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344818-qaimalishahAPP-1330753485/344818-qaimalishahAPP-1330753485.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344497/senate-elections</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344497/senate-elections#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 19:49:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344497</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Given that the elections have taken place, it points to the fact that our democracy continues to function.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As the Senate polls get underway, it is becoming increasingly clear that the PPP will end up as the dominant force in the Upper House. The outcome of these polls will carry on beyond the next general election, given that each senator serves six years, with half the house which now consists of 104 members, following the introduction of reserved seats for minorities under the 18th Amendment, going to polls every three years.

With the provincial assemblies forming the electoral college for the Senate election, the PPP is set to make important gains, giving it more control over parliament. This will be of key significance in the years ahead, and was almost certainly the major factor in the resistance put up by opposition parties to the polls, as various efforts were made to shove them off-track. Allusions to this have been made again and again by the prime minister and other members of the ruling party. It is fortunate that these efforts have not worked — especially since at several points there were rumours wafting through the winds that there may even be an effort to oust the government ahead of the date for the Senate polls. Given that the elections have taken place, it points to the fact that our democracy continues to function, surviving all the strains placed on it from time to time by external forces which have too often played a role in determining the events of state.

With several Senators already voted in unopposed, we are also beginning to see the possible shape of the Upper House. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and Ishaq Dar, of the PPP and the PML-N respectively, will both be part of it from Punjab. They should bring a voice of experience to the body and also play a part in building the kind of maturity we need. The Senate requires such seasoned politicians who aim to focus on finding legislative means to rescue the country from the multitude of problems that it currently faces.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344497-Elections-1330717358/344497-Elections-1330717358.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: PML-N alleges seats were publicly auctioned</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344476/senate-elections-pml-n-alleges-seats-were-publicly-auctioned</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344476/senate-elections-pml-n-alleges-seats-were-publicly-auctioned#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 13:36:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344476</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Urges ECP to cancel results of seats where ‘black money’ is involved.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While Senate poll results continue to pour in, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has started making accusations of rigging.

“Seats in the Senate elections were publicly auctioned,” said PML-N senior leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who leads the opposition in the National Assembly.

The Election Commission of Pakistan should cancel the results of those Senate seats where it finds use of black money, allegedly floated by politicians for buying votes, Nisar urged. “The election commissioner has full powers to withhold or cancel results in light of the 20th amendment.”

Such “bad fish” should be expelled from Parliament, he said, adding that only “clean” politicians should be allowed.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344476-ChaudhryNisarAliKhan-1330695337/344476-ChaudhryNisarAliKhan-1330695337.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate polls: PML-N MPA Yasin Sohl withdraws resignation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344470/senate-polls-forced-to-show-ballot-pml-n-mpa-resigns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344470/senate-polls-forced-to-show-ballot-pml-n-mpa-resigns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 11:56:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344470</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The MPA had resigned after he was forced to show ballot papers before casting his vote.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Yasin Sohl, who had earlier resigned from his seat on Friday, has withdrawn his resignation.

The MPA decided to tender his resignation after he was forced to show ballot papers before casting his vote during Senate polls at the Punjab Assembly.

According to details, Secretary Coordination Dr Tauqeer Shah forced Sohl to show his ballot when he was casting the vote. Sources in PML-N said that Shah had expressed his concerns that Sohl might vote for Babar Awan because of his brother.

Sources also added that Senior Advocate Ramzan Chaudhry was Sohl’s elder brother and he had committed to cast his vote for Babar Awan.

PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique had then protested over the incident and tried to convince senior party leaders Pervez Rashid, Rana Mashood and Tauqeer Shah to trust their MPA as his constituency fell under Lahore, but his protests were ignored.

Rafique after failing to convince the party leadership against asking Sohail to show his ballot papers had asked him to resign. Both leaders then left the provincial assembly.

Rana Sanaullah said that the matter had been resolved as he had received Sohl’s resignation and not the speaker.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344470-PunjabAssembly-1330689163/344470-PunjabAssembly-1330689163.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Polling for Senate seats ends, PPP, coalition partners win</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344414/polling-for-senate-seats-begins</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344414/polling-for-senate-seats-begins#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 06:59:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344414</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Each of the four provinces will have 23 seats in the 104-member senate.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Peoples Party maintained its dominance in the Senate, after the party saw almost all of its candidates win their respective elections. The PPP also got a bonus as its coalition partners too did handsomely.

The PPP bagged 19 seats in Senate elections.

The Awami National Party increased its haul to seven seats while coalition partners the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid secured four seats each.

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz saw its candidates triumph on seats contested from Punjab, securing eight seats.

However, the results of seven General seats have been withheld in Balochistan. Their votes will be recounted in Islamabad on March 5.

Regional lawmakers on Friday cast their votes for members of the Senate, the indirectly-elected upper house of the federal parliament. A vote count is currently underway.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly

Farhatullah Babar, President Asif Ali Zardari’s spokesperson and a senior PPP member, managed to secure his entry to the Senate on the Technocrat seat.

Those winning on the General seats include Talha Mehmud (JUI-F), Baz Mohammad, Azam Hoti, Shahi Syed of the ANP, while Ahmed Hassan, Saifullah Bangash of PPP also won. Meanwhile Nisar Mohammad of the PML-N too secured a seat in the Senate.

In the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 20 candidates were contesting for seven general, two technocrat, one woman and one minority seat from the province.

Leaders of different political parties and ministers were also present in the assembly building.

All roads leading up to the provincial assembly had been closed as strict security measures were in place to avoid any untoward incidents.

Sindh Assembly

From Sindh, Hari Ram Kishori Lal of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was elected on the minorities seat, Sehar Kamran of PPP and Nasreen Jalil of MQM on the women’s seat, and MQM’s Mustafa Kamal, Tahir Mashadi and Raza Rabbani of PPP were elected on the general seat.

Hilalur Rehman, Najmul Hasan, Hidayatullah and Saleh Shah have been elected as senators from FATA.

In Punjab, Zafarullah Dhandlah (52 votes), Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa (54 votes), M Hamza (52 votes) and Rafique Rajwana (51 votes) of PML-N have won senate seats. Babar Awan of PPP also secured 47 votes to win a seat.

During the second count, Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q won a seat.

Independent candidate Mohsin Leghari has won, causing an upset in the Punjab Assembly as PPP’s Aslam Gill loses.

Polling in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly went on for two hours above the designated time. The media was asked to leave the press gallery before voting ended. A vote count is currently underway.

Amarjeet Singh Malhotra of ANP has won the minorities seat. Zahida Khan of ANP and Rubina Khalid of PPP have won the women’s seats.

Ilyas Bilour of ANP has been elected on the technocrat seat.

Each of the four provinces will have 23 seats in the 104-member next senate, with four going to Islamabad and eight for the tribal areas in the northwest.

Some of the places are reserved for non-Muslim minorities, women, and Islamic scholars or technocrats.

Half the senate's current 100 members retire on March 12 after completing their six-year terms, and the four non-Muslim minority places are an expansion of the chamber being chosen for the first time.

At least nine candidates were elected unopposed, the official said, leaving 45 seats being contested.

Punjab Assembly

Out of 371 members, around 366 MPAs  have  cast their votes for seven general seats of the Senate. Two seats are currently vacant as PML-N’s Shahid Mehmood Khan and Shumail Rana had resigned, and Unification Bloc leader Dr Tahir Ali Javed, Dr Asad Moazzam of PPP and Rana Babar are outside the country.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also cast his vote today. Speaking to the media, Sharif said that the PPP government is a “group of corrupt mafia”. He said that PML-N's four candidates would easily win the elections.

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) had fielded four candidates - Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, M Hamza, Rafique Rajwana and Zafarullah Dhandla. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has fielded two candidates - Babar Awan and Aslam Gill and Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q)  has one candidate Kamil Ali Agha, while independent candidate Mohsin Khan Leghari also belongs to PML-Q.

Committee Room Number Two had been declared the polling booth under Returning Officer Mehboob Anwar.

"We have formed four panels for our four candidates and each panel comprises of 57 members" said PML-N's candidate Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa. However, the required number of votes for each senator is around 4,600 - which means votes of 46 MPAs, he added.

"There will be a tough competition between Leghari and Kamil Ali Agha,” Khosa said.

Punjab Assembly’s strength is 371 but with four MPs absent, a total of 367 MPAs were expected to cast their votes to select eight candidates.

PML-N has 171 MPAs with the support of 47 Unification Bloc (PML-Q's dissidents), three of PML- F, two of MMA, one of PML-Z and three independent MPAs. PML-N, keeping in view its strength, has 35 extra votes which party sources say they have decided to poll in favour of the independent candidate Leghari.

PPP has 106 MPAs, while PML-Q has 36 MPAs and both had jointly fielded their three candidates under the three panels, each panel comprising of 47 MPAs.

PPP sources had said that the party's priority would be to secure its two candidates and to ponder over PML-Q's candidate as their second option.

PML-Q's MPA and former National Assembly speaker Hamid Nasir Chatha, who proposed Leghari, had said that they have campaigned individually and hoped that this will show a positive output.

PPP's Raja Pervez Ashraf had said that Senate elections are the symbol of a democratic set up. He also said that candidates of parties with a majority in the assembly have succeeded often.

Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhry Shujat Hussain of PML-Q had expressed their disappointment over PML-N's covert support for Leghari. They said that despite this their candidate Kamil Ali Agha will win the Senate seat.

Balochistan Assembly

The results were suspended by the Election Commission officials after PML-N leaders raised objections on the victory of Awami National Party Candidate Dawood Shah and demanded a recount. PML-N leaders alleged that one of their votes had been unduly rejected. There was tough competition between PML-N candidate Nawab Shah and ANP candidate Dawood Khan. The PML-N also protested over the ANP candidate’s victory.

According to unofficial results of general seats, Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi of the PPP, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani of PPP, Yousuf Baloch of PPP, Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F), Mir Israr Zehri of Balochistan National Party-(Awami), Daud Khan of Awami National Party (ANP) and Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) had been declared successful after being voted by majority of the MPAs. A total 18 candidates were contesting for seven seats.

The PML-N, however, could not win a single seat since it had only two MPAs in provincial assembly.

The assembly’s total strength is 65, while only 64 MPAs were expected to cast their votes due to the absence of opposition member Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind of PML-Q.

There were a total of 38 candidates for 12 seats. Out of the 38, 17 were contesting for the general seats, seven for Ulema and Technocrat, nine for women and five for the minorities seat.

The polling was conducted under Presiding Officer Election Commission Balochistan Abdul Jabbar Jamali.

Strict security measures had been adopted with the deployment of police, Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) and Frontier Corps (FC) at Balochistan Assembly.

PML-Q lawmakers Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani and Jaffar Mandokhail had alleged that horse trading is taking place.

Gilani had said he will vote for the PPP candidates as the PPP-led government had promised to release his funds which are stated to be around Rs650 million. He said he had not been received funding for any schemes for the past four years.

The National Party (NP) had demand that Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan take suo motu notice of the horse trading.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/thumbs/logo-tribune1588976358-0-450x300.webp" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Move to end secret ballot falls through</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344306/move-to-end-secret-ballot-falls-through</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344306/move-to-end-secret-ballot-falls-through#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 04:51:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[manzoor.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344306</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[K-P assembly differs motion for Senate polls.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Thursday spent much of its time on tirades against horse trading. Ruling and opposition benches, however, could not agree over a resolution to amend Article 226 of the Constitution in order to exclude Senate elections from the requirement of secret ballot.


Proceedings started on a conciliatory note with Deputy Speaker Khusdil Khan congratulating the House for completing four years and electing members for a second time. He stressed the need for ensuring free and fair Senate elections.

Leader of the Opposition, Akram Khan Durrani echoed his sentiments about fair and free Senate elections and added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Speaker must ensure that there should not be any kind of horse-trading.

Durrani, who served as the K-P chief minister in the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) government, also proposed that journalists and cameras be allowed inside polling stations to ensure transparency.

Awami National Party (ANP) lawmaker Saqibullah Khan Chamkani moved a resolution asking the Parliament to amend Article 226 of the Constitution to exclude Senate elections from the secret ballot requirement in order to enhance transparency and discourage horse-trading.

However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) lawmakers Mufti Kifayatullah and Saeeda Batool opposed the resolution; upon which Israrullah Khan Gandapur proposed tabling a joint resolution with the insertion of a paragraph that this resolution will not be binding technically and morally.

The resolution remained suspended in thin air, as Saeeda Batool proposed to defer it until after the Senate polls. When the Speaker asked Chamkhani whether he was going ahead with his resolution, fellow ANP parliamentarian Bashir Ahmed Bilour asked him to defer his resolution as well and present it after the Senate elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344306-Election-1330663832/344306-Election-1330663832.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Election primer: Understanding today’s Senate polls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344317/election-primer-understanding-today%e2%80%99s-senate-polls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344317/election-primer-understanding-today%e2%80%99s-senate-polls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 12 00:54:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[qamar.zaman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344317</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP stands on the brink of domination in the upper house of parliament.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[With members of the four provincial assemblies, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and from the federal capital territory casting their ballots today, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is all set to emerge as the largest party in the Senate.


A little history

The Senate is a permanent legislative body which symbolises a process of continuity in the national governance. The term of each member is six years. However, one half of its members retire after every three years.

The 1973 Constitution, passed on April 12, 1973, and promulgated on August 14, 1973, provides for a parliamentary form of government with a bicameral legislature, comprising the National Assembly and the Senate.

Originally, the number of Senate members was 45. It was increased to 63 in 1977 and to 87 in 1985. In 2002, the government of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf raised the membership from 87 to 100.

In 2012, the size of the Senate will increase to 104 – with the addition of reserved seats for members from Pakistan’s minority, non-Muslim communities. Though 10 seats are reserved in the National Assembly for minorities, there has been no quota in the Senate until now.

Following the 18th Amendment, four seats for minorities – one from each province – have been added to the Senate.

Composition 

The Senate now consists of 104 members and has equal representation from the provinces regardless of population, unlike the directly-elected general seats of the National Assembly – which is contested on the basis of adult franchise.

Each province gets 23 senators – 14 general, four technocrats/ulema, four women and one non-Muslim). The federal capital territory, which does not come under any of the provinces, gets four Senate seats – two general, one technocrat/ulema and one woman. Eight senators come from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Though seventeen seats have been allocated to women, there is no bar on women to seek elections from other categories – for example on minority, technocrat or general seats.

Criteria

Senate elections take place in accordance with Article 59 of the Constitution.

A person seeking election to the Senate should not be less than 30 years old and should be registered as a voter in an area or province from where he seeks election – in addition to meeting other qualifications prescribed under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution (the criterion of ‘good’, ‘honest’ and ‘clean’ candidates).

Voting method

The Senate polls are nothing short of a complex mathematical equation.

It is the responsibility of the chief election commissioner to hold and take measures for the Senate elections in accordance with the system through electoral colleges.

The election itself takes place in each of the provinces, the federal capital and Fata.

The voting is done by balloting, cast between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm under the supervision of provincial election commissioners. Each member of an electoral college (for example, a member of the Balochistan Assembly) makes a priority list – first choice, second choice, etc – of the candidates that are vying for the Senate seats. Senators are elected based on the priority each member gets from each member of an electoral college.

It is not without reason that each party goes through intense election strategies, forming groups of members who are actually assigned which candidate to give what priority to and ensure there is no confusion in voting.

Candidates returned to Senate uncontested 

In Punjab, five members have already been elected uncontested. Two unopposed winners are Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan from the PPP and Senator Ishaq Dar from the PML-N on the technocrat/ulema seats, Nuzhat Sadiq from PML-N and Khalida Parveen from the PPP won uncontested on reserved seats for women and Kamran Michael from the PML-N has already won the reserved seat for non-Muslims.

From Sindh Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh from the PPP and Muhammad Faroogh Naseem from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have been elected uncontested on two seats reserved for technocrats.

From the federal capital, Osman Saifullah Khan from the PPP and Mushahid Hussain Syed from the PML-Q have also been elected unopposed.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344317-islamabadnati_1735799875/344317-islamabadnati_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Optimism: CM confident of victory in Senate</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344215/optimism-cm-confident-of-victory-in-senate</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/344215/optimism-cm-confident-of-victory-in-senate#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 12 20:35:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=344215</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah meet the Jatoi brothers of National Peoples Party.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[With senate elections due today, heightened political activity saw the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah meet the Jatoi brothers of National Peoples Party, Shahi Syed of the Awami National Party and Ghous Bux Mahar of the PML-Q on Thursday, to garner support for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates. After discussing the issue with Mahar, the chief minister later told reporters that the PPP always believed in the policy of reconciliation and that all his coalition partners had assured him of their full support. When asked about PML-Q (likeminded), Shah replied, “We are not worried about three to four votes that Arbab Rahim’s party may get. PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, will win the senate election with a resounding majority.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/344215-Newsinbriefx-1330627474/344215-Newsinbriefx-1330627474.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: Seven out of 54 elected unopposed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343987/senate-elections-seven-out-of-54-elected-unopposed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343987/senate-elections-seven-out-of-54-elected-unopposed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 12 14:14:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=343987</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan, PML-N's Ishaq Dar elected unopposed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared seven candidates ‘uncontested’ to the Senate of Pakistan on 54 seats, according to a notification issued on Thursday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, officials said that the candidates were contesting on seats reserved for technocrats including ulema, women and non-Muslims from  Punjab and Sindh and will replace Senators, whose term will expire on March 11, 2012, under clause (3) of Article 59 of the Constitution.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and Ishaq Dar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been elected unopposed against the seats reserved for technocrats in Punjab, while PML-N Member of National Assembly Nuzhat Sadiq and PPP leader Khalida Parveen have been elected unopposed on seats reserved for women.

PML-N’s Kamran Michael was elected unopposed on seats reserved for non-Muslim from Punjab, while Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has been elected as Senator while MQM leader Farogh Naseem was elected from Sindh.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/343987-AitzazAhsan-1330610862/343987-AitzazAhsan-1330610862.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: PML-N, PML-Q to field joint candidate</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343795/senate-elections-pml-n-pml-q-to-field-joint-candidate</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343795/senate-elections-pml-n-pml-q-to-field-joint-candidate#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 12 13:09:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=343795</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Leaders from both rival parties met to evolve consensus on fielding Nisar for a general seat.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have agreed to field PML-N’s Nisar Malakand as a joint candidate in the Senate election scheduled for March 2. Leaders from both rival parties met on Wednesday to evolve consensus on fielding Nisar for a general seat. PML-N’s senior leadership for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), including its provincial president Pir Sabir Shah, held talks with PML-Q provincial chief Ameer Muqam. Following the meeting, Muqam said that both the parties have agreed to a formula, wherein they will field joint candidates in the upcoming Senate vote.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/343795-Newsinbriefx-1330549134/343795-Newsinbriefx-1330549134.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Striving for success: Osman Saifullah elected as Senator</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343270/striving-for-success-osman-saifullah-elected-as-senator</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343270/striving-for-success-osman-saifullah-elected-as-senator#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Feb 12 13:56:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[press.release]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=343270</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Osman claims he looked forward to continuing his family’s history of public service.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Osman Saifullah Khan, whose unopposed election to the Senate was notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan yesterday, thanked the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for reposing confidence in him and for giving him the opportunity to serve the country.  He said the PPP’s core message was as relevant today as it was when the party was founded four decades earlier. As a new entrant to the political arena, Osman claimed he looked forward to continuing his family’s history of public service. He pledged to use the insights gained from 17 years of diversified professional and corporate experience, to solve Pakistan’s myriad economic challenges. His emphasis will be on working with party members and other colleagues, to ensure that legislation and government policy resulted in an environment that provided strong incentives for economic growth.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/343270-Newsinbriefx-1330461683/343270-Newsinbriefx-1330461683.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate Seats: PML-N sets out its election plan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343100/senate-seats-pml-n-sets-out-its-election-plan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/343100/senate-seats-pml-n-sets-out-its-election-plan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Feb 12 05:34:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=343100</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PML-N finalises its strategy for Senate elections telling its MPAs who they would be voting for.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[PML-N on Tuesday finalised its strategy for the Senate elections telling its MPAs who they would be voting for. The meeting, chaired by Shahbaz Sharif, decided that besides winning four allocated seats, the party would knock out PML-Q.


In Punjab, eight candidates are in the field for seven general seats. PPP, PML-N and PML-Q had agreed that PML-N would get four seats, PPP two and PML-Q one. However, after MPA Mohsin Leghari’s nomination papers were accepted, the deal is off, said a PML-N source.PML-N sources said the party has decided to vote for Leghari. All party MPAs have been told to vote for one of the PML-N’s four candidates. The members not needed to make the threshold have been told to vote for Leghari.

PPP sources said the party has not yet issued any directions to its ‘extra’ members but indicated that they would prefer to vote for Agha. Some members have even expressed their unwillingness to vote for Dr Babar Awan.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/343100-pmln-1330493616/343100-pmln-1330493616.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate candidates: Lists revised, candidates get elected unopposed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/341556/senate-candidates-lists-revised-candidates-get-elected-unopposed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/341556/senate-candidates-lists-revised-candidates-get-elected-unopposed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 12 04:33:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=341556</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PPP set to become largest party in upper house since Zia’s rule.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Following the unopposed election of nine Senate candidates, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that 98 candidates are now in the fray for 45 seats of the upper house of parliament.


The ECP had earlier received 166 applications against 54 seats. At present, the Senate comprises 100 members, but after the 18th Amendment, the number has increased to 104, with each provincial assembly represented by one minority member in the Senate.

After the addition of non-Muslim seats, the Senate comprises 23 members each from all the four federating units, eight from Fata, and four from Islamabad. The 23 seats allocated to a province include 14 general seats, four reserved for women, four for technocrats and one for minorities. Polling will be held on March 2 and the senators will take oath on March 12.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federal Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Balochistan have not elected anyone unopposed. A statement issued by the ECP on Friday said that eight candidates would be contesting from Punjab on general seats, as candidates for reserved seats for women, technocrats including Ulema and non-Muslims have already been elected unopposed.

Thirteen candidates will contest from Sindh: eight for general seats, and five for reserved seats. 25 candidates will contest from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan has the largest number of candidates at 41.

It will be the first time that the Jamaat-e-Islami will lose its representation in the Senate for the next three years, while the PPP is set to become the single largest party in the Upper House for the first time since Zia-ul Haq’s era.

Meanwhile, the National Registration and Database Authority handed over the preliminary voters list comprising 83.280 million votes to the ECP. The entries include 47.350 million males and 35.93 million females.

The ECP will display the preliminary list on 50,000 centers across the country for three weeks in order to rectify mistakes. Once they are displayed, the ECP will start accepting applications from voters for the correction of these lists.

Sindh

The candidates of PML-Q (likeminded) have decided to contest in the Senate election. They did not withdraw their nomination papers on Friday, the last date for withdrawals.

On the other hand, the provincial election commission issued a notification declaring Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh of PPP and Dr Farogh Naseem of MQM unopposed senators on technocrat seats.

The unopposed election became possible when members of PPP, MQM and PML-Q withdrew their nomination papers. Meanwhile, the nomination papers of Mangal Das Arwani from PML-Q (Likeminded) were rejected on legal grounds.

Covering candidates Rashid Rabbani and Shahida Rehmani of PPP and Ponjo Bhel of MQM withdrew their nomination forms. As many as 12 candidates were supposed to contest the elections on March 2, but since two have already been elected, elections will now be held for ten seats. The election commission has finalised 13 candidates competing for general and reserved seats.

It was expected that PML-Q (Likeminded) candidates Ghaffar Qureshi, Yasim Farukh and Photomal Dileep will withdraw their papers following negotiations with PPP, but they have decided to contest in the elections.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch said that Dr Kareem Khwaja, Saeed Ghani, Raza Rabbani and Ajiz Dhamrah of PPP, Mustafa Kamal and colonel (Ret) Tahir Mashadi of MQM, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah of PML-F and Ghaffar Qureshi of PML-Q (likeminded) will contest for the seven general seats.

Baloch said Rashida Rehmani of PPP has withdrawn her nomination, while Nasreen Jalil of MQM, Mudassar Sahar Kamran of PPP and Yasim Farukh of PML-Q (Likeminded) will contest for the two women seats.

Hari Ram Kishori Lal of PPP and Photomal of PML-Q (Likeminded) will contest for the minorities’ seat.

Gaffar Qureshi said he not only had the support of different parliamentary parties in the Sindh Assembly, but also of some PPP members. “We will contest the elections and will not let any party win unopposed in Sindh.”

Balochistan

As many as 41 candidates will contest in the Senate elections from Balochistan, while five candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Friday.

Election Commission Balochistan issued a final list of candidates. According to the list, 19 candidates will compete for 7 general seats, 9 for 2 women seats, while 8 for 2 two seats of Ulema and Technocrats. Similarly, five candidates will contest for one seat of minority.

Out of the 22 nomination papers for 7 general seats, the papers of Ahmed Khan were rejected, while Manzoor Mengal and Umar Jamali withdrew their papers.

Similarly, out of 13 nomination papers on women seats, papers of Hina Bibi and Fouzia Tabasum were rejected, while Farra Azim Shah and Nasima Bibi withdrew.

Ten candidates filed their nomination papers for two technocrat seats: Javed Iqbal and Manzoor Gichki were rejected. Seven candidates filed their nomination papers for the seat of minority: nomination papers of George Paul were rejected while Basant Lal Gulshan withdrew his papers.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Nine candidates withdrew their nomination papers for the upcoming Senate elections, leaving about 26 contestants to compete for 12 seats in the Upper House.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials said that about 35 candidates had submitted their nomination papers for Senate seats; however, nine of them withdrew their papers.

Of those who withdraw their candidatures, five had submitted their nominations for general seats; one for technocrat, two for women and one for the seat of minorities.

Shamroz Khan and Tabinda Zafar of PPP, Mian Ifthikar Hussain, Razaullah Khan, Tabbasum Shams and Tajuddin Khan of ANP, Asif Karim of PML-N and Gulshan Yousuf of JUI-F withdrew their papers.

Out of the final list of 26 candidates, 13 will contest for seven general seats, six for two technocrat seats, four for two women seats and two for a single minorities’ seat.

Senate elections will be held in the K-P assembly building from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/341556-senate-1330147368/341556-senate-1330147368.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: PPP finalises Senate candidates from Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/340511/senate-elections-ppp-finalises-senate-candidates-from-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/340511/senate-elections-ppp-finalises-senate-candidates-from-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 12 04:57:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=340511</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Coalition partner cries foul, says will not withdraw from Senate elections.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While finalising the names of its candidates, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has started negotiations with leaders of different parliamentary parties in the Sindh Assembly to get their Senators elected unopposed from Sindh.


Reportedly, a deal has been struck between the PPP and its coalition partners over the distribution of seats in the upcoming elections.

Out of 12 seats, seven will be given to PPP, four to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and one to the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F).

Dr Karim Khwaja, a PPP candidate who had applied for two Senate seats, withdrew his nomination papers for the technocrat seat and will contest the elections on the general seat.

Other PPP candidates whose names have been finalised include Raza Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, Mukhtiar Ahmed, Kareem Khawaja, Hafeez Shaikh, Hari Ram Kishori Lal and Muddassir Sehar Kamran.

Meanwhile, leaders of the PML-Q (Likeminded) are crying foul. Talking to The Express Tribune, PML-Q (Likeminded) Senator Ghaffar Qureshi said that PPP leaders, including Federal Minister Khurshid Shah, had approached Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim to withdraw candidates from the elections, but the latter turned down his request.

He added that under the reconciliation policy, they can only support the government’s initiatives, but will not withdraw from their constitutional right to contest elections.

He further said that during the last Senate elections, the PPP had promised to back one of their candidates in these elections.

“Instead of supporting a candidate from our party, the PPP leaders insist [that we] withdraw. We have refused them,” he said.

Qureshi, who belongs to the Mirpurkhas district and is going to retire on March 12, has applied for another term.

“I have not only the support of a few PPP members, but MPAs of other parties will also vote for me,” he said.

“There is polarisation within the ranks and files of PPP in Sindh.  We have talked to leaders of National Peoples Party as well.  My victory is obvious in the election,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/340511-senate-1329972993/340511-senate-1329972993.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate: Mushahid Hussain, Osman Saifullah elected unopposed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/339679/senate-mushahid-hussain-osman-saifullah-elected-unopposed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/339679/senate-mushahid-hussain-osman-saifullah-elected-unopposed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 12 14:28:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=339679</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both candidates were elected unopposed as no appeal was filed till 4pm – the deadline set by the commission.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday declared Mushahid Hussain Syed of Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) and Osman Saifullah of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) successful candidates for two Senate seats from Islamabad. A notification has been issued in this regard.

Both candidates were elected unopposed as no appeal was filed till 4pm – the deadline set by the commission.

Mushahid Hussain was declared successful on the general seat while Osman Saifullah on the technocrat seat.

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) sole candidate from Islamabad, Muhammad Omar Mughal had withdrawn nomination papers on Monday, paving the way for unopposed election of the two candidates. The nomination papers of PML-N’s Dr Mazhar Hussain Mirza had earlier been rejected by the ECP for being incomplete and he did not file an appeal against the rejection.

Officials say that PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan and PML-N’s Ishaq Dar will likely be elected unopposed on technocrat seats from Punjab. Kamran Michael of PML-N has also been elected unopposed on a minority seat from Punjab, while Nuzhat Amir of PML-N and Khalida Parveen Qureshi of PPP are expected to be elected unopposed on reserved seats for women in Punjab.

Appeals regarding objections were also filed against various candidates at provincial officer of the ECP. The commission will dispose of the appeals on February 22 and 23, and a finalised list of candidates will be announced on February 24.

Members of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies will elect seven members each to the Senate on general, women, minorities and technocrat seats. National Assembly members will elect one member against a general seat and one on the technocrat seat, including Ulema, from the federal capital. FATA members will elect four members against general seats.

The newly-elected senators will take oath on March 12.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/339679-MushahidHussain-1329834225/339679-MushahidHussain-1329834225.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: PML-N’s sole candidate from Islamabad withdraws papers</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/339155/senate-elections-pml-n%e2%80%99s-sole-candidate-from-islamabad-withdraws-papers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/339155/senate-elections-pml-n%e2%80%99s-sole-candidate-from-islamabad-withdraws-papers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 12 11:43:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=339155</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed, PPP’s Osman Saifullah likely to be elected unopposed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s sole candidate from Islamabad has withdrawn his nomination papers for the Senate, paving the way for unopposed election of the PML-Quaid and Pakistan Peoples Party candidates.

Muhammad Omar Mughal, who was contesting from the PML-N, retracted his nomination papers on Monday, increasing the likelihood that PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed and PPP’s Osman Saifullah will sail through to the Senate without any opposition.

Officials told The Express Tribune that four candidates were contesting for two Senate seats in Islamabad. Apart from Syed, Saifullah and Mughal, PML-N’s Dr Mazhar Hussain Mirza had also submitted his nomination papers. Mirza’s papers were rejected by the election commission for being incomplete.

Officials also say that PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan and PML-N’s Ishaq Dar will likely be elected senators unopposed on technocrat seats from Punjab. PML-N’s Kamran Michael has also been elected without facing any challenge on a minority seat from the same province.

Appeals 

Meanwhile, appeals regarding objections will be disposed off on February 22 and 23. A finalised list of candidates will be announced on February 24.

Members of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies will elect seven members each to the Senate on general seats, two on seats reserved for women and two on seats reserved for technocrats, including Ulema. One member each will be elected on the seats reserved for minorities.

Members of the National Assembly will elect to the Senate one member against a general seat and one other on the seat reserved for technocrats, including Ulema, from the federal capital. Fata MNAs will elect four members against general seats.

Elections are being conducted on 54 seats. Fifty senators will retire in March after completing their respective terms, which 11 from each province, four from Fata and two from the federal capital. Four senators will be elected for the first time on seats for minorities, which have been introduced after the 18th amendment. The newly-elected senators will take oath on March 12.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/339155-senate-1329738131/339155-senate-1329738131.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate election: Arbab’s demands despite 4-year absence could be a game-changer</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338449/senate-election-arbab%e2%80%99s-demands-despite-4-year-absence-could-be-a-game-changer</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338449/senate-election-arbab%e2%80%99s-demands-despite-4-year-absence-could-be-a-game-changer#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 12 21:46:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hafeez Tunio]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338449</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[He wants to be the Opposition leader or he could spoil PPP chances of unopposed election.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[For the first time in about four years, the Sindh Assembly has taken notice of Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s empty seat. The timing is significant because of the Senate elections scheduled for March 2.


Rahim is in a position to bargain as his MPAs could prevent the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates from being elected to the Senate unopposed. He is now interested in using this chip to press for the coveted post of the leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly.

“We have nominated three candidates on general seats and a seat reserved for women [for the Senate election],” said Razzaque Rahimoon, the party’s deputy parliamentary leader. “We would prefer to contest the election rather than leave the field open to the PPP to bag all the votes unopposed.”

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that some PPP leaders are negotiating with Rahim. He appears to be adamant about either winning one Senate seat or the post of the Sindh Assembly Opposition leader, which has been vacant for about eight months as PML-Functional MPA Jam Madad Ali left it to join the government.

After the 20th Amendment was passed, the importance of the Sindh Assembly Opposition leader has gained weight because the leader of the House, the chief minister, has to form any caretaker government in consultation with them. The PML-Q (Likeminded) group is all too aware of this.

The PML-Q (Likeminded) has five members in the Sindh Assembly, who claim to be the real opposition. Some time ago, they had applied for Rahim to be appointed the opposition leader in the house. But this became a bone of contention as Rahim has a history of rivalry with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that he had received an application from PML-Q MPAs to declare Rahim the leader of the Opposition. But according to Khuhro, as PML-Q (Likeminded) is not registered as a parliamentary party with the election commission, he could not appoint their leader for the post.

The problem is that Rahim is vulnerable as he has missed assembly sessions since 2008. If an MPA misses a certain number of sessions, he can be disqualified. In Rahim’s case, he has been in Dubai all this time.

“The presence and consent of the man who is going to be the leader of the Opposition is mandatory at the time of his or her nomination,” explained Khuhro. “Dr Sahib is out of the country. He has sent an application that he could not travel due to his health, so how can one appoint him the leader of the Opposition?”

Khuhro said that the application of the three members is full of technical flaws as well. “How can one be eligible for the slot of Opposition leader if you have not attended the assembly sessions for an entire tenure?” he said. “Dr Arbab should realise that even though he has been absent from the assembly for four years, it has not disqualified him so far.”

But Rahimoon argued that Rahim is not the only one who has been absent from the assembly; a few PPP members fall in the same category. “Dr Sahib is on medical leave. If the assembly rejects his leave, recommending the election commission to disqualify him, we will challenge it in court,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/338449-ghulamarbabrahim-1329601294/338449-ghulamarbabrahim-1329601294.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate polls: Aitzaz likely to be elected unopposed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337403/senate-polls-aitzaz-likely-to-be-elected-unopposed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337403/senate-polls-aitzaz-likely-to-be-elected-unopposed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 12 13:07:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=337403</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Michael, Ishaq Dar might also make it into the upper house without opposition.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party stalwart Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan is likely to be elected to the Senate unopposed if no one opposes his nomination and the election commission does not reject his papers, The Express Tribune has learnt. 

Aitzaz is the only candidate who has filed his nomination papers against a technocrat and a general seat.

Sources said that eleven other candidates of Senate from Punjab also stand to be elected unopposed.

While Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Kamran Michael has already been elected from the minorities’ seat, the party’s Ishaq Dar is also likely to be elected on technocrat seats.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s Khalida Qureshi and PML-N’s Khalida Qureshi may be elected unopposed on the seats reserved for women.

On the general seats, PML-N’s Zafarullah, M Hamza and Rafique Rajwana, PPP’s Babar Awan and Aslam Gill and PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha might also be elected unopposed.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/337403-aitzazahsanAFP-1329398730/337403-aitzazahsanAFP-1329398730.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate poll: Aitzaz, Awan assets challenged with the ECP</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337379/senate-poll-ecp-scrutinises-nomination-papers-assets</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/337379/senate-poll-ecp-scrutinises-nomination-papers-assets#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 12 08:56:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=337379</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The finalised list of the candidates will also be announced on February 24.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The asset details of four Senate candidates, including Babar Awan and Aitzaz Ahsan, have been challenged with the Election Commission of Pakistan, officials told The Express Tribune. 

The other two candidates are Zulfiqar Khosa and Zafarullah Khan Dhandhla.

The declared assets will be scrutinised on Friday, while appeals against rejection and acceptance of nomination papers can be filed on Monday and Tuesday, officials said. The ECP will then conduct a hearing before a full election commission board on Wednesday and Thursday in Islamabad.

On February 24, candidates who wish to withdraw can intimate the ECP and a final list of candidates will be published.

According to details submitted to the ECP, PML-N’s Khosa owns 99 acres of land and pays agricultural tax worth Rs7,000 a year. He also has Rs0.7 million in his bank account.

Aitzaz owns 100 acres while his wife owns 50 acres of land. Aitzaz also has 13 bank accounts which contain Rs100.85 million. His wife has Rs15 million in seven bank accounts.

Awan, apart from property worth Rs20.5 million in Spain, has two vehicles, agricultural land worth Rs20 million, bank accounts containing Rs70.78 million and investments in a bank and a private company worth Rs30.40 million. Awan also owns a house in Islamabad worth Rs30 million and an office in Lahore worth Rs2 million.

PML-N’s Zafarullah Dhandhla has Rs0.5 million, two vehicles and 74.25 acres of land. He pays Rs3,000 in agricultural tax.

ECP rejects nomination papers of two PML-N candidates 

The ECP on Thursday refused to accept nominaion papers of two candidates of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), contesting for senate seats from Islamabad and directed them to complete their documentation by tomorrow.

The commission directed Muhammad Omar Mughal and Dr Mazhar Hussain of PML-N to complete their credentials required for contesting the senate elections for technocrat and general seats.

They had submitted incomplete nomination papers earlier this month. Dr Hussain applied for a technocrat seat and could not submit the certificate of achievement. A technocrat is required submit national-level achievements under the senate elections act 1995.

Mughal is contesting for general seat in Islamabad.

The ECP accepted nomination papers of other two candidates – Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid’s (PML-Q) leader Mushahid Hussain Syed and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) leader Osman Saifullah.

ECP scrutinises nomination papers, assets

A two-day scrutiny process of nomination papers submitted to the ECP for Senate elections kicked today.

The commission is reviewing the papers submitted by the candidates along with the details of their assets.

The appeals regarding objections would be disposed of on February 22 and 23.  The finalised list of the candidates will also be announced on February 24.

The ECP had received around 93 applications for 33 general seats, 29 applications for 8 women seats, 26 for nine technocrats and 18 for four minorities’ seats.

Province-wise, 25 applications were received in Punjab, 32 in Sindh, 38 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 51 in Balochistan against 12 seats from each province.

Fifteen nominations have been received against four seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Against two seats in the federal capital, the ECP received four nominations – PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed, PPP’s Osman Saifullah, PML-N’s Dr Mazhar Hussain Mirza and Muhammad Omar Mughal.

Assets declared

The assets of candidates including Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Babar Awan and Aitzaz Ahsan and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa and Zafarullah Dhandla, were declared during the scrutiny.

According to Express News, Khosa has an amount of Rs0.7 million in his bank accounts. It was also reported that the agricultural tax paid by him during the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 sums up to Rs7,000.

The funds in Ahsan’s bank account were declared to be Rs100 million while it was reported that he owns 100 acres. Awan has Rs80 million in his bank accounts and property worth millions of rupees.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/337379-Aitzazbabarafpexpress-1329398684/337379-Aitzazbabarafpexpress-1329398684.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate nominees: Politicking in full swing for upper house elections</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336621/senate-nominees-politicking-in-full-swing-for-upper-house-elections</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336621/senate-nominees-politicking-in-full-swing-for-upper-house-elections#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 12 05:34:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=336621</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nomination forms have been filed, with Punjab elections unlikely to be unopposed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Senate elections in Sindh and Balochistan are likely to be relatively placid; in Punjab, the same cannot be said.


For 12 Senate seats in Sindh, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is optimistic that all the candidates from the party and its coalition partners will be unopposed, which will strengthen the democratic system in the country.

Sources said that, according to a formula agreed by the coalition partners, the PPP will get eight seats out of 12, while three candidates from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and one candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) will be successful.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who was not recommended by the PPP due to internal pressure, submitted his form on Tuesday for a technocrat seat, while a prominent figure from the MQM, Syed Mustafa Kamal, also submitted his nomination papers for a general seat.

Mudasir Sehar and Shahida Rehmani are PPP’s candidates for reserved seats for women, while Hari Ram and Haresh Parwani are candidates for minority seats in the province.

A total of four PPP senators will be retiring, but with the support of coalition partners and its strength in the provincial assembly, the party’s candidates in the upper house from Sindh are likely to jump to eight.

The Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) has not submitted nomination papers for the upper house from Sindh due to an understanding between the two parties’ top leadership. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah held a joint meeting of the nominated candidates from PPP and PML-Q at the CM House on Tuesday.

Punjab elections unlikely to be unopposed

PML-Q MPA Sardar Mohsin Khan Leghari is likely to upset the bargaining of the three major political parties over 12 seats in the Senate for Punjab, as he, along with a total of 22 candidates belonging to various political parties, have filed their nomination papers.

Of the total 12 seats up for grabs, seven are general, two each for technocrats and women, with one for a non-Muslim.

According to a deal which has been struck among three major political parties for unopposed Senate elections, the PML-N, keeping in view its numerical strength in the Punjab Assembly (PA) has been given a total of seven seats, comprising four general, and one each for a technocrat, woman and non-Muslim. The PPP has been given four seats while PML-Q has been given only one general seat.

For the two technocrat seats PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar and PPP lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan will win their seats unopposed as nobody else has filed nomination papers for these.

The PML-Q’s Mohsin Leghari reiterated his will to upset the bargaining of the three major political parties. “The basic principle of democracy is to give voters the choice to choose the candidate they want to represent them,” Leghari said, adding: “If there is not choice then it’s a clear negation of democracy.”

He may have a point about this being an underhand process. Interestingly, of the seven PML-N candidates, two were part of the interviewing committee.

51 candidates in Balochistan

Some 51 candidates, including sitting provincial ministers, have submitted nomination papers to contest the upcoming Senate elections from Balochistan, while three political parties have formed an alliance to field joint candidates for the upper house.

According to the Election Commission Balochistan, 121 nomination forms were obtained from the office. A total of 51 candidates had submitted their nomination papers till Tuesday. Provincial chief of PPP Mir Sadiq Umrani, addressing a news conference, said the PPP will be able to secure six seats and 26 MPAs assured their support.

(with additional reporting by shehzad baloch in Quetta)

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/336621-SadiqPHOTOINP-1329252443/336621-SadiqPHOTOINP-1329252443.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate nominations: With papers in, Aitzaz begins journey to Senate</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336695/senate-nominations-with-papers-in-aitzaz-begins-journey-to-senate</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336695/senate-nominations-with-papers-in-aitzaz-begins-journey-to-senate#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 12 05:20:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=336695</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[166 applications received against 54 Senate seats, says ECP.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After a gap of 12 years, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan took his first steps back to the upper house of parliament.


Aitzaz, and PPP leader Dr Babar Awan, submitted their nomination papers for Senate elections to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday.

The ECP finalised the submission of nomination papers, and received 166 applications against 54 seats of the Senate.

“I can serve the party better by being a member of parliament,” Aitzaz told journalists on Tuesday.

“I’m thankful to the party for my nomination,” he added.

Analysts say the step is an opportunity for Aitzaz to propel his way to the top post in Senate.

Party insiders say four leaders, besides Aitzaz, are vying for the post of Senate chairman - Farhatullah Babar, Raza Rabbani, Awan and Nayyar Abbas Bokhari.

The incumbent chairman, Farooq H Naek, may continue to hold the office too since he is considered to be very close to party co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari, sources added.

Nominations received

Until Tuesday, the last day for submitting nominations, the ECP had received around 93 applications for 33 general seats, 29 applications for 8 women seats, 26 for nine technocrats and 18 for four minorities’ seats.

Province-wise, 25 applications were received in Punjab, 32 in Sindh, 38 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 51 in Balochistan against 12 seats from each province.

Fifteen nominations have been received against four seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Against two seats in the federal capital, the ECP received four nominations - PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed, PPP’s Osman Saifullah, PML-N’s Dr Mazhar Hussain Mirza and Muhammad Omar Mughal.

The nominations will be scrutinised on February 16 and 17 and appeals regarding objections would be disposed off on February 22 and 23.

The finalised list of the candidates will also be announced on February 24.

Shifting paradigm

The ruling PPP and opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are expected to gain most of the seats in the upcoming Senate elections.

For the first time, the Jamaat-e-Islami will lose its representation in the upper house for the next three years; other parties on their way out are Pakhtunkhwa Mill Awami Party, Jamhoori Watan Party and PPP-Sherpao.

With 20 of its 21 senators retiring this March, the PML-Quaid (PML-Q) will lose most in the upcoming elections.

The biggest gainer will be the PPP which has five senators retiring, and is expecting to win 20 new seats, taking its strength to over 40.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/336695-aitzazahsanAFP-1329283081/336695-aitzazahsanAFP-1329283081.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: PPP stalwarts Aitzaz, Awan submit nomination papers</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336247/senate-elections-ppp-stalwarts-aitzaz-awan-submit-nomination-papers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336247/senate-elections-ppp-stalwarts-aitzaz-awan-submit-nomination-papers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 12 07:33:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=336247</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hafiz Shaikh, Javed Ahmed also submit their documents on behalf of the PPP.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party's Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and former law minister Babar Awan have submitted their nomination papers for the March 2 Senate elections.

“As members of the parliament, we will work to ensure supremacy of the constitution and the law,” Aitzaz told reporters in Lahore on Tuesday after the two leaders submitted their nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Aitzaz thanked the party for his nomination and vowed to serve the cause of the parliament through his inclusion in the Senate.

Awan said that this Senate election is upholding the principles of democracy followed by the PPP and President Zardari. “We will continue serving the country through renewed spirit and energy.”

Former finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has also submitted his nomination papers.

Meanwhile, Javed Ahmed has submitted his documents to the ECP for the technocrat seat on behalf of the PPP.

Meanwhile, in Peshawar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Iqbal Zafar Jhagra submitted his papers for the technocrat seat. PML-Quaid’s Syed Qasim Shah from Hazara and PML-N’s Asif Karim from Swabi also filed their papers. So far, more than 20 nomination papers have been submitted, of which 10 are for technocrat seats, 10 are for general seats, three are for seats reserved for women and three for minorities’ seats.

In Islamabad, 11 nomination papers have been filed so far since Monday. Nine nomination papers have been filed against four Fata seats that will be voted on. Papers have been filed by Munir Khan Orakzai, Dr Abdul Qadir, Sajid Hussain Turi, Malik Najmul Hassan, Hidayatullah, Jawad Hussain, Bismillah Khan, Abdul Malek Qadri and Hussain Khan.

For the technocrat seats, PPP’s Usman Saifullah’s papers have been submitted. Earlier, his father Anwar Saifullah was asked to filed his documents, but after Anwar requested the president, his son’s papers were filed.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/336247-Aitzazbabarafpexpress-1329206113/336247-Aitzazbabarafpexpress-1329206113.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Election update: MQM plans to increase its Senate strength to 7</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336006/election-update-mqm-plans-to-increase-its-senate-strength-to-7</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336006/election-update-mqm-plans-to-increase-its-senate-strength-to-7#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 12 05:20:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=336006</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nasreen Jalil, Umer Khan Ali Sherzai among nominees for upper house of parliament.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Ten candidates from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) filed nomination papers on Monday for the Senate elections, but it is as yet unclear which ones will be the actual candidates and who will be covering candidates.

The candidates are Nasreen Jalil, who has served as deputy mayor, former MNA Kunwar Khalid Yunis and MPA Kanwer Naved Jameel, incumbent senator Col (retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi as well as Punjo Mal, Arif Bhatti, Arshad Vohra and Naila Latif. It also has two rather well known candidates – noted lawyer Farogh Naseem, who has served as advocate general of Sindh, and Pakistan’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia Umer Khan Ali Sherzai, who recently joined the MQM.

The MQM currently has a total of six senators of which three – Col (retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Ahmed Ali and Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada – are retiring on March 11. Only one of these has been given a ticket for the Senate elections – Mashhadi.

The Express Tribune has learnt that the MQM is planning to increase its strength in the Senate to seven. It plans to have two candidates elected on general seats, one on a technocrat seat and the fourth on a women’s seat. However, the nomination of two minority candidates makes it unclear whether it will negotiate with the Pakistan Peoples Party for that seat. According to the MQM, it needs five votes in addition to its current 51 MPAs in the Sindh Assembly to gain another Senate seat.

The MQM candidates filed their papers at the Provincial Election Commissioner’s office on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/336006-senate-1329196794/336006-senate-1329196794.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>MQM nominates seven candidates for Senate elections</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335779/mqm-nominates-seven-candidates-for-senate-elections</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335779/mqm-nominates-seven-candidates-for-senate-elections#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 12 09:53:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=335779</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Candidates nominated for seven general, two women, two minority and two technocrat seats.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has nominated 13 people for 11 seats for the upcoming Senate elections.

The seats include seven general, two women, two minority and two technocrat seats.

For the general seats, Kunwar Khalid Younis, Kunwar Naveed Jameel, Arshad Bohra, Col (retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Nasreen Jalil, Barrister Farogh Naseem and Ali Sherzai were nominated, while for the women seats, Nasreen Jalil and Sheila Latif were nominated.

Punjho Beel and Amir Maseeh were nominated for the minority seats, and Farogh Naseem and Ali Shaikh Zai nominated for the technocrat ones.

According to the schedule notified by the election commission, candidates for Senate elections can file their nomination papers till February 14. Their scrutiny will be completed by February 17 and the list of contesting candidates would be finalised by February 24, for polling on March 2.

The elections will be held for 54 seats – 50 seats vacated by graduating senators and four new seats reserved for minorities. The provincial assemblies, which constitute the electoral college for the upper house of parliament, would be electing 12 senators each.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/335779-mqm-1329126207/335779-mqm-1329126207.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate strife: Amidst discord, PML-N announces candidates</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335611/senate-strife-amidst-discord-pml-n-announces-candidates</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335611/senate-strife-amidst-discord-pml-n-announces-candidates#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 12 04:51:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=335611</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Parties poised to prevent unopposed elections.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has formally announced its candidates for the upcoming Senate elections scheduled for March 2.


According to an official announcement, the PML-N has awarded seven tickets. Senator Ishaq Dar was picked up for the technocrat seat, Begum Nuzhat Sadiq for reserved seats for women, Kamran Michael for the minorities’ seat, while Sardar Zaulfiqar Khosa, M Hamza, Rafiq Rajwana and Zafarullah Dhandhla have been selected to compete for general seats.

In addition, PML-N’s senior leader Ghulam Dastgeer Khan and former bureaucrat Saeed Mehdi have reportedly been asked to prepare as covering candidates.

Elections will take place for 54 seats – 50 vacated by retiring senators and four new seats for minorities. Provincial assemblies will be electing 12 senators each, Fata MNAs four, while the rest of the National Assembly will elect two for the federal capital quota.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier released the election schedule, according to which candidates can file their nomination papers by February 14.

Provincial assemblies constitute the electoral college for the upper house of Parliament and polls under the current scenario are likely to give the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) a majority in the Senate for the first time in the country’s history. There are indications that the PPP may have more than 40 members in the upper house, giving them an unprecedented edge.

Meanwhile, sources say differences amongst political parties are poised to reach a boiling point with nearly everyone endorsing the view to prevent the unopposed election of senators. There is also a chance of participation by independent candidates.

Three political parties have struck a deal over the distribution of Senate seats, but members are on the lookout for options as well. The PML-N will get seven seats, PPP four, while PML-Q will get only one seat in Punjab.

Expressing his concern over the choice of candidates, a senior PML-N legislator told The Express Tribune that, “Except for Khosa and Michael, the rest are virtually unknown and their names are being heard for the first time.”

PML-N MPA Advocate Chaudhry Javed said that though his party had directed its members not to propose candidates for the Senate elections, it was their right to ask who was representing them. Javed asserted that candidates should be selected through a consensus and said he would express his apprehensions to all MPAs on Monday.

PML-Q’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Zahiruddin Khan, said that from his 30-year experience in politics, he had learnt that members often show dissatisfaction over nominations, but accede to the party’s stance at the end.

On the other hand, PML-Q’s MPA Sardar Mohsin Khan Leghari obtained nomination papers despite his party’s disapproval and is now being approached by disgruntled members of all political parties.

Sources say Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo (PML-J) leader Hamid Nasir Chathha has proposed his name while a dozen candidates have been given him assurance to support him.

Chathha, who is a senior politician and a former speaker of the National Assembly, said he would support whosoever contested the elections to upset the formula agreed upon by major political parties in Punjab.

(with additional reporting by Qamar Zaman in Islamabad)

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/335611-senate-1329108581/335611-senate-1329108581.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate polls: Mohsin Leghari considering independent run</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335513/senate-polls-mohsin-leghari-considering-independent-run</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335513/senate-polls-mohsin-leghari-considering-independent-run#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 12 Feb 12 21:44:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=335513</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says he has obtained nomination papers, will consult others.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid member of Punjab Assembly Mohsin Khan Leghari has obtained nomination papers for Senate elections and is considering to contest the election as an independent candidate.


Talking to The Express Tribune, he said he will take a decision after consultation with fellow MPAs.

Citing Article 59 of the Constitution, Leghari said MPAs should exercise their right of vote in Senate elections independently. “Selecting candidates through backchannel negotiations between political parties is not democratic,” he said.

PML-Q has already awarded its ticket for the only Senate seat it is likely to win in the province to Kamil Ali Agha.

Several MPAs see Leghari’s move as an opportunity for members who have been ignored by their parties to extract some favours from the leadership.

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik said Leghari appeared to have a good chance of winning the election. “Many members have not been very happy with their leaders. They may cast their votes for Leghari instead of the candidates nominated by their parties,” he said.

PML-Q parliamentary leader in the PA Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said he would contact Leghari and request him to respect the party’s decision. Asked if action would be taken against Leghari if he still contested the election, Zaheer declined comment.  He, however, said it was not unusual for some members to oppose party’s nominees in the beginning. Eventually, he said, they end up following the party line.

Some Unification Bloc members are said to be unhappy with the PML-N for being ignored.

Its leader, Dr Tahir Ali Javed, said they had proposed MPA Ejaz Shafi’s name and he was interviewed by the parliamentary board but was not selected.

He said he expected Shafi to respect the decision.

For the seven seats from the province it is likely to get, the PML-N on Sunday announced the names of Sirdar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, Rafiq Rijwana, Zafarullah Dhandla, M Hamza (on general seats), Ishaq Dar on technocrats’ seat, Kamran Michael (on minorities’ seat) and Nuzhat Amir Sadiq (on women’s seat).

PML-N MPA Advocate Chaudhry Javeed said his party had called a meeting of all MPAs to discuss the election on Monday. He said he would express his reservations over some of the nominations during the meeting.

“Members have a right to inquire about the people who will represent them in the Senate,” he said, “The party leadership has sent some text messages to members asking them to restrain from objecting to the names.”

Sources said that 15 MPAs had so far assured Leghari of their support in case he decided to run as an independent candidate.

The support of at least 47 members is needed to win a Senate seat.

Former National Assembly speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha told The Tribune that his party (PML-Junejo) was not fielding any candidate for the Senate elections.

He said he would consider supporting Leghari if the latter filed his nomination. Chattha said he would support anyone running against the candidates supported by the three major political parties in the PA.

PPP has given its ticket to Barristers Aitzaz Ahsan and Babar Awan, Aslam Gill and Mrs Mohsin Qureshi.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/335513-pmlq-1329083043/335513-pmlq-1329083043.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate polls: Ishaq Dar, Kamran Michael among PML-N’s official candidates</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335468/senate-polls-ishaq-dar-kamran-michael-among-pml-n%e2%80%99s-official-candidates</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/335468/senate-polls-ishaq-dar-kamran-michael-among-pml-n%e2%80%99s-official-candidates#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 12 Feb 12 16:14:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=335468</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[MNA Nuzhat Sadiq, Muhammad Hamza, Rafiq Rajwana and Zafarullah Dhandhla are the remaining four candidates.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Senator Ishaq Dar, MPA Kamran Michael and Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa have been included the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s official list of candidates for the March 2 Senate polls. 

While Dar will be standing for a re-election, the remaining six candidates are first-time contenders and Michael, currently Punjab minister for finance and human rights, has been nominated for the recently-included seats for minorities.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the party on Sunday. The other four candidates are MNA Nuzhat Sadiq, for the seat reserved for women, Muhammad Hamza, Rafiq Rajwana and Zafarullah Dhandhla.

Reportedly, PML-N’s senior leader Ghulam Dastagir Khan and former bureaucrat Saeed Mehdi have reportedly been asked to prepare as covering candidates.

Elections will be held for 54 seats, 50 on seats vacated by retiring Senators and four seats for minorities that have been added after the 18th amendment. Provincial assemblies will be electing 12 members each, four will be elected by MNAs from Fata while the rest of the National Assembly will vote for two senators on the federal capital quota.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/335468-senate-1329063155/335468-senate-1329063155.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Disgruntled PML-N members win Senate nomination</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334788/disgruntled-pml-n-members-win-senate-nomination</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334788/disgruntled-pml-n-members-win-senate-nomination#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 12 04:40:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=334788</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Three members nominated for upper house as they were about to join PTI.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz finalised candidates for seven seats in the Senate, on Friday.


The candidates include four for general seats – Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, Zafar Dhandla from Bhakkar, M Hamza from Toba Tek Singh and Rafique Rijwana; Ishaq Dar for the technocrat seat, Begum Nuzhat Sadiq for the women’s seat and Provincial Minister for Finance and Human Rights Kamran Michael for the minority seat.

PML-N’s senior leader Ghulam Dastgeer Khan and former bureaucrat Saeed Mehdi have been asked to prepare as covering candidates.

The party has awarded tickets to disgruntled members in order to keep them from breaking from the party.

The Dhandhla family was about to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, but has now accepted the Senate seat.

Senior leader M Hamza was also about to join the PTI in Toba Tek Singh when his opponent Bilal Warraich joined the PML-N.

It was reported earlier that the PML-N leadership had been sending text messages to its members restraining them from suggesting  anyone for Senate candidature, sources in the party told The Express Tribune.

“Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has called an immediate meeting of all members of PA on Monday, in which he will take them into confidence over the candidates for Senate election,” the sources added.

In Punjab there will be a total of 12 seats up for grabs – seven general, two each reserved for technocrats and women, and one for a non-Muslim. Under the deal reached between major political parties for seats distribution, PML-N will get a total of 7 seats including 4 general seats, one technocrat, one women’s and one non-Muslim seat. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will get a total of 4 seats and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) will get only one general seat.

It is pertinent to mention that the division of seats, though unopposed, had occurred in Punjab in the 2006 and 2009 Senate elections as well. In 2009, PML-N nominated almost all its members from their Rawalpindi division.

“Members in the Punjab often have not exercised their right to cast votes to decide who shall represent Punjab in the Senate,” said PML-N MPA Javed Ahmad.

Meanwhile, PML-Q’s 47-member dissident faction called Unification Bloc seems to be determined to put forward its candidate or negotiate a seat from PML-N. According to official party information, two MPAs have been interviewed by PML-N’s interview committee in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/334788-pmln-1328935128/334788-pmln-1328935128.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>ANP’s choice of Shahi Syed for a Senate seat piques MQM</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334812/anp%e2%80%99s-choice-of-shahi-syed-for-a-senate-seat-piques-mqm</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334812/anp%e2%80%99s-choice-of-shahi-syed-for-a-senate-seat-piques-mqm#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 12 04:40:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[nusrat.javeed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=334812</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sattar believes by patronising likes of Shahi Syed, ANP wants 'to punish MQM for demanding separation of Hazara'.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hardly a few minutes after the Supreme Court’s decision of endorsing the summoning of the prime minister, in person, on Feb 13 under the contempt charges, Dr Farooq Sattar forced the chair to hear him on a point of order in the National Assembly. The naïve types in the press gallery presumed that the parliamentary leader of an important ally of the Zardari-Gilani government would perhaps express anguish over deepening of tensions between different pillars of the state. But they could not believe their ears, when the MQM leader appeared fully exposing fragility of the Gilani-led coalition.

While talking to one news channel on Thursday, Senator Ilyas Bilour had justified the ANP’s decision to nominate Shahi Syed for a Senate seat. “Who else but Shahi Syed in this country could check the total control of Karachi that the MQM had been relishing for years,” was the question Bilour had supposedly put in a blunt manner. Sattar interpreted those remarks as if “owning the reign of terror that the ANP had unleashed in Sindh by killing thousands of our workers and supporters.” Both the federal and the Sindh government should consider these remarks seriously, Sattar demanded. He also desired that while monitoring the law and order scene in Karachi these days, the Supreme Court should also take note of the same remarks.

The MQM leader did not finish there. He seriously believed that by patronising the likes of Shahi Syed, the ANP also wanted “to punish our party for demanding the separation of Hazara” from Khyber-Pakhtunkhaw. “We will not budge,” he concluded. Farooq Sattar’s assertive intervention, precisely at a time when the Zardari-Gilani government desperately needed to convey the feel of absolute cohesion about it, forced many to seriously consider the rumours that started circulating in Islamabad on Thursday night.

After many days of nerve-wrecking negotiations, the government emissaries had finally succeeded to win the PML-N’s support for passage of the 20th amendment by late Thursday evening. The broad agreement between the two had not pleased the MQM. Some of its vocal legislators were reported to have been telling journalists of their liking that if due to the pressure of the PML-N, the government had agreed to revisit the 18th amendment, why not to address the demand for a separate Hazara province as well through the new amendment. One is yet not sure to what extent the MQM is determined to follow the said demand. But hawkish posturing by its legislators certainly bodes ill for the fate of the 20th amendment.

I also have it from highly reliable sources that even the growing ranks of hawks from within the Zardari-Gilani government were now having cold feet over getting the 20th amendment passed by all means. Friday’s decision of the Supreme Court has provided solid content to their conspiracy-spotting imagination. For months, the PPP hawks had been telling their leaders that extra-parliamentary forces were viciously sticking to a script that should lead us to early elections. “It’s time to stop bending and appeasing,” they believed.

Yousaf Raza Gilani had mostly been disregarding these hawks. But he started having second thoughts since November 2011. His appearance in the National Assembly on Friday clearly suggested that increasingly he had been getting ready to put up a fight to the finish. As an inviolable rule, he always took his seat in the National Assembly dressed all buttoned-up. After the Supreme Court’s Friday decision, however, he came with a jacket worn over an open neck shirt. He continued talking to some of his trusted ministers in a carefree manner throughout his presence in the house. One lie-low type legislator was seen specially walking up to his seat from a remote corner on the backbenches. When caught in the lobby, the same MNA confirmed my hunch. For sure, the backbencher had gone to communicate sympathy on the loss of intra-court appeal. “As politicians we should always be ready for all kind of eventualities,” was the sentence, the prime minister reportedly uttered while patting the said MNA in an unperturbed manner.

The prime minister has yet not shared the line and strategy he intends to follow while appearing before the Supreme Court under the contempt charges. His lawyer, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, is also keeping cards too close to his chest. Reporters are not supposed to give up so easily, though. With much effort, I am able to gather some hints to possible line of defence. This indeed is not the time to spill the beans. No harm in pondering over a question, though: Does the immunity-furnishing article 248 really violate the Islamic guidelines that the Objective Resolution furnished for our God-given Republic?

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/334812-NusratJaveednew-1328907938/334812-NusratJaveednew-1328907938.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>PML-N to finalise its Senate candidates</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334360/pml-n-to-finalise-its-senate-candidates</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334360/pml-n-to-finalise-its-senate-candidates#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 12 04:47:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[qamar.zaman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=334360</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Party chief Nawaz to grant final approval to short-listed nominees.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As March 2 approaches, parties are poring over the nominations and finalising their candidates for the Senate elections.


The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif will chair a meeting and finalise party candidates at Raiwind on Friday (today), sources said.

Nawaz will review short-listed candidates for a final approval, they added.

Former member National Assembly Ghulam Dastgir Khan, Senator Ishaq Dar, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and M Hamza are reported to be PML-N’s likely candidates, sources added.

In the event that Senator Dar decided to contest Senate elections on the seat reserved for technocrats, three candidates are vying for his place – PML-N Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, former principal secretary Saeed Mehdi and Siddiqul Farooq.

Tariq C Qaiser is likely to get the party ticket for the newly-reserved seat for minorities while Seema Jillani is expected to secure nomination for the seat reserved for women, sources added.

According to the schedule notified by the election commission, candidates for Senate elections can file their nomination papers till February 14. Their scrutiny will be completed by February 17 and the list of contesting candidates would be finalised by February 24, for polling on March 2.

The elections will be held on 54 seats – 50 seats vacated by graduating senators and four new seats reserved for minorities. The provincial assemblies, which constitute the electoral college for the upper house of parliament, would be electing 12 senators each.

MNAs from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) would elect four while the National Assembly would elect two Senators on the federal capital seats.

The polls are likely to give the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) a majority in Senate, with more than 40 members, for the first time in the country’s history.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/334360-pmln-1328849212/334360-pmln-1328849212.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Ticket frenzy: ANP finalises squad for Senate elections</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333747/ticket-frenzy-anp-finalises-squad-for-senate-elections</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333747/ticket-frenzy-anp-finalises-squad-for-senate-elections#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 12 05:04:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umer.farooq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=333747</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Azam Khan Hoti, Ilyas Bilour among those given tickets.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Awami National Party (ANP) finalised its candidates for Senate elections on Wednesday during a meeting of its parliamentary board presided over by ANP provincial chief Senator Afrasiab Khattak.


The board finalised Senate tickets for six members, including three general candidates and one each for a technocrat, a minority and a female out of a total of 38 applicants.

ANP candidates for general seats include ANP provincial Senior Vice President Baz Muhammad Khan, ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed and former federal minister Azam Khan Hoti.

Meanwhile, ANP Senator Ilyas Bilour was given a ticket to contest the technocrat seat. Amarjeet Singh Malhotra was given the minority ticket while Zahida Khan was awarded a ticket for ANP’s female candidate under the “martyrs of ANP” quota. The seventh ticket will be allocated after consultation with coalition partners, a senior member of the ANP told The Express Tribune.

If elected, the additional six members will take ANP’s representation in the upper house of parliament to 11. Haji Muhammad Adeel, Zahid Khan, Afrasiab Khattak, Nabi Bangash, and Farah Aqil Shah are already representing the party in Senate and are due to retire in 2015.

A total of 38 candidates had submitted applications for the Senate polls, including ANP’s former provincial president Begum Naseem Wali Khan, widow of Khan Abdul Wali Khan, but she was refused a party ticket for reasons that haven’t been disclosed.

Predictably, the allocation of tickets preserved the age-old tradition of political horse-trading. Azam Khan Hoti, who was awarded a Senate ticket, is the brother-in-law of ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and father of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister. Ilyas Bilour, who was given a ticket as a technocrat, is the brother of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/333747-anp-1328763875/333747-anp-1328763875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: Fata lawmakers pay up to maintain clout</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333749/senate-elections-fata-lawmakers-pay-up-to-maintain-clout</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/333749/senate-elections-fata-lawmakers-pay-up-to-maintain-clout#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 12 04:54:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[jamshed.baghwan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=333749</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nine of 11 MNAs arrange to keep Fata Senate seats amongst themselves.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The frontier may be geographically rugged but there’s no dearth of goodwill amongst its elected representatives when it comes to power.


To ensure that wealth and seats stay within the incumbent political elite, elected representatives from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have decided to either propose names of their family members for the upcoming Senate elections, or make hay otherwise.

The procedure

The Senate has 8 representatives from Fata, four of whom will retire in March 2012. The four new members for these vacant seats are voted for by the 12 representatives of Fata in the lower house of parliament.

The National Assembly has 11 Fata members at present, since elections were not held in South Waziristan due to the ongoing insurgency.

Of these 11 members, eight have paired themselves based on mutual understanding and will pay Rs150 million per pair into a pool that will eventually be divided amongst the existing 11 members, sources told The Express Tribune.

The arrangement

The pairs include Muneer Orakzai with Mohammad Kamran Khan; Sajid Toori with Jawad Hussain; Malik Bilal Rehman with Shaukatullah Khan; and Noorul Haq Qadri with Hameedullah Jan Afridi.

Each pair will nominate one person, which could be one of either lawmakers, or their family member, for the four vacant seats. Both lawmakers, however, will pay Rs75 million for being part of this arrangement, making a total pool of Rs600 million which will be divided amongst nine lawmakers.

Zafar Baig Bhittani, the ninth lawmaker of the group, has expressed no interest in making any nominations for the Senate seats and wants to simply receive a payout from the divisible pool for being a silent part of the arrangement.

These nine lawmakers together have offered Rs5 million each to Akhunzada Chattan of Bajaur Agency and Abdul Malik Wazir from South Waziristan Agency for not proposing any candidates either.

The allotments

Muneer Orakzai, leader of the Fata parliamentarians, has already been allotted a ticket in his pair. From two other pairs, Shaukatullah Khan and Noorul Haq Qadri have proposed names of their brothers, Hidayatullah and Abdul Malik, respectively.

When approached, Muhammad Kamran Khan, the lawmaker from North Waziristan, refused to comment on the issue and said that “none of it has been finalised as yet”.

Other lawmakers could not be reached for their version, despite repeated attempts.

According to sources, the deal is set to be finalised by February 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/333749-MuneerOrakzaiphotofile-1328733178/333749-MuneerOrakzaiphotofile-1328733178.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Despite conspiracies, Senate polls will happen on time: Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332324/despite-conspiracies-govt-will-hold-senate-polls-on-time-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332324/despite-conspiracies-govt-will-hold-senate-polls-on-time-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 13:04:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332324</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says PPP has suffered the most due to rigging and hence committed to free, fair and transparent election.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that several conspiracies have been hatched to stop the Senate elections but the government is committed to holding the polls on time.

Speaking to media at the Seeratun Nabi Conference in Islamabad, Gilani said that the government was consulting allies and opposition parties to reach a mutual understanding on the issue of the 20th amendment.

“The government wants to have the 20th amendment passed unanimously,” Gilani said, adding that the amendment was a very serious matter and even the apex court had directed the government to get approval from all stakeholders.

Free elections

The prime minister said that the government wanted free, fair and transparent elections through an independent election commission.

“Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has always suffered because of election rigging and hence wants to ensure transparency in polls,” Gilani said.

New provinces

Gilani said there are conspiracies against the creation of a Seraiki province but the government would now work even more effectively for its creation.

He mentioned the demand for restoration of the Bahawalpur state and said that the matter fizzled out because there could not be a state within the state.

Gilani said that many issues had to be considered for creation of a new province.

“There should be a province that covers not only Bahawalpur, but also adjoining areas in southern Punjab,” he said.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/332324-gilanireuters-1328446606/332324-gilanireuters-1328446606.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: MQM presses PPP for more seats</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332089/senate-elections-mqm-presses-ppp-for-more-seats</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332089/senate-elections-mqm-presses-ppp-for-more-seats#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 05:43:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[irfan.ghauri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332089</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PML-Q is also pushing the ruling party for an ambitious quota for the upper house polls.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[There is a price to pay for coalition politics, and, sooner or later, the pound of flesh will be sought.


Like the rest of the smaller partners in the ruling alliance, Muttahida Qaumi Movement is also pressing the Pakistan Peoples Party for an ambitious share in the upcoming Senate elections.

With less than a month left for the Senate elections, scheduled for March 2, bickering on seat allocations within the ruling alliance has burgeoned – though, thus far, behind closed doors.

The smaller parties are expecting an embattled PPP to be generous – something the party feels it cannot afford. The MQM, on its part, has its own expectations: One of which involves a return gesture for its support back in 2009 to make Interior Minister Rehman Malik a senator on an upper house seat reserved from Sindh.

Of the 12 senators to be elected from the Sindh Assembly come March, the MQM is reported to be demanding four seats while the PPP has so far agreed to two.

“According to our strength in the provincial assembly, our share is minimum three seats … but we also want the PPP to return the gesture by giving an additional seat from the province on technocrat quota,” an MQM central leader told The Express Tribune.

Elections for 54 Senate seats will be held next month: Four provincial assemblies electing 12 senators each, Fata MNAs electing four and the rest of the National Assembly electing two for the federal capital quota.

The PPP has a simple majority in the 168-seat Sindh Assembly with 91 members followed by MQM’s 51. The breakaway PML-Q has 11, PML-Functional eight, National Peoples Party three and the Awami National Party two. These smaller parties are either divided internally or have a covert understanding with the PPP to support nominees for the Senate. In exchange, the PPP will either ‘accommodate’ them in terms of posts or seats in another province or in the centre.

Under this scenario, the ruling PPP is eying 10 of the 12 seats from Sindh – a target that would help its larger ambition to secure a large presence in the Upper House after the Senate elections.

However, achieving this target will not be an easy task. After all, every coalition partner has its own ambitions as well.

Aside from the MQM’s four-seat demand, the PML-Q also wants either a seat from Sindh or wants the PPP to accommodate it in one of the two seats allocated to the federal capital.

PML-Q information secretary Kamil Ali Aga went a step further. He claimed that the PPP had agreed to give his party a share in the Senate elections according to the number of seats it had won in the national and provincial assemblies at the time of 2008 elections. “We were promised a senate share according to our original count. We expect PPP to follow that formula,” he said.

In a meeting last month, parties of the ruling alliance had agreed to bring “consensus candidates”. In such a case, only the candidates allocated a party ticket will file their nominations and they would get elected unopposed.

The PPP is also negotiating with PML-N and JUI-F to adopt this procedure, which, it says, would save everyone from horse trading.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012. ]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/332089-mqm-1328420509/332089-mqm-1328420509.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>TV anchor Mubasher Lucman seeks delay in Senate polls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331397/tv-anchor-mubasher-lucman-seeks-delay-in-senate-polls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331397/tv-anchor-mubasher-lucman-seeks-delay-in-senate-polls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 12 14:48:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331397</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In a petition filed with the SC, Lucman says almost 100 MPs not qualified for voting in the March 2 elections.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Television anchor Mubasher Lucman has moved the Supreme Court seeking postponement of Senate elections, saying that a number of parliamentarians have fake degrees and their cases are pending with accountability forums.

Lucman, who filed the petition on Friday through Barrister Ali Zafar, has also argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan has held 29 by-elections on incomplete voter lists, contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling, therefore these MPs are not qualified to be members of the National and provincial assemblies.

The petition states that 70 members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, who will be voting in the March 2 polls, hold counterfeit degrees and pleads that Senate elections should not be held until the fate of these 100 members is not decided. However, Zafar told The Express Tribune, they will withdraw the case if the 20th constitutional amendment is passed.

“Under the constitution, senators are to be elected through votes of members of the National and provincial assemblies. However, many sitting parliamentarians do not hold valid degrees and are hence disqualified [from voting],” he said.

Further, he said, 29 parliamentarians were elected through by-elections held using incomplete and invalid electoral lists and under an “election commission” which was not duly constituted under the law. Therefore, these by-elections are void, he said.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/331397-supremecourtafp-1328280425/331397-supremecourtafp-1328280425.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate elections: Big three carve out Punjab seats</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330171/senate-elections-big-three-carve-out-punjab-seats</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330171/senate-elections-big-three-carve-out-punjab-seats#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 12 05:31:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=330171</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Coalition partners PPP, PML-Q also finalise negotiations.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[All three major political parties in Punjab assembly have finalised their negotiations over the upcoming Senate elections in a bid to elect unopposed candidates on the basis of respective parties’ strength in the provincial assembly.


According to sources, of the 12 available seats from Punjab – including 11 retiring senators and one seat for a minority candidate – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will get 7 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will get 4 and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) will get one.  The 11 senators retiring in March 2012 include seven elected on general seats and two each on women and technocrat seats. The non-Muslim seat was added in the 18th Amendment.

According to the agreed upon formula, the PML-N has been given four general and a women, technocrat and minority seat each. PPP’s four allocated seats include two general, and a women and technocrat seat. PML-Q has been allocated a general seat.

Female candidates

Both PML-N and PPP have asked female applicants to gather support for their Senate candidature and show their strength to party leadership before the election date, March 2.

PML-N’s female applicants are courting PML-Q dissidents for support while PPP’s applicants are in talks with PML-Q members to garner support for their candidature.

Of the 81 members initially elected to Punjab Assembly on PML-Q ticket, 38 remain with the party – the remaining formed a ‘unification bloc’ which stands with the PML-N.

Coalition negotiations

Sources add that coalition partners, PPP and PML-Q, have also finalised their negotiations over the allocation of Senate seats. PML-Q, which will see 20 of its senators retire in March, has managed to solicit five seats for itself – one from Islamabad, one from Punjab, and three from Balochistan.

The arrangement was confirmed by PML-Q’s parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Zahiruddin Khan.

Sources added that party’s former senator, Syed Mushahid Hussain, will be nominated, and elected unopposed, from Islamabad.

Twice as many

The PML-N will reap the benefit of its majority in Punjab since only one of its senators, Ishaq Dar, will retire while the party will have seven new seats in the upper house, taking its total strength in the Senate post March to 13, from the current 7.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that on the basis of its strength in the provincial assembly, PML-N will, most probably, elect unopposed candidates for seven seats in the upcoming Senate elections.

PPP’s Tanvir Ashraf Kaira confirmed that his party would get four seats from Punjab in upcoming Senate elections. Of the party’s five senators graduating in March, one, Dr Babar Awan, belonged to Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/330171-senate-1328074242/330171-senate-1328074242.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item>	</channel>
                </rss>
