PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Balochistan CM Bazinjo speaking to the media in Islamabad on Sunday. SCREENGRAB
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad on Sunday, Bilawal said the PPP’s candidate for the post of Senate chairman will be Sanjrani and for deputy chairman’s seat in the upper house of parliament, the party will field its own senator Saleem Mandviwala, Express News reported.
Sanjrani, the joint candidate for all opposition parties will contest against the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate for the post of Senate chairman, he added.
Later, Bilwal expressed hope for the victory of the two candidates finalised for the top Senate slots on Twitter.
PPP proud to announce candidates for chairman & deputy chairman of the Senate of Pakistan. Sadiq Sanjrani & Saleem Mandviwalla respectively. Inshallah victory will be ours.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) March 11, 2018
Speaking on the occasion, Balochistan CM Bazinjo said that the history was in the making as the PPP, despite having majority seats among opposition parties, opted to back to his candidate.
PPP unwilling to support ‘inexperienced’ Balochistan candidates for Senate chairman
“Peoples Party had also strived for Balochistan’s rights through constitutional amendments earlier and we are grateful to them for that,” he added.
PTI chief Imran Khan had already announced his party’s support for Sanjrani, but the main opposition was unwilling to support ‘inexperienced’ parliamentarians for the top Senate positions as decided in a late-night huddle on Saturday.
Sources privy to the last night’s meeting said that most of the senior PPP leaders advised their top leadership to field an ‘experienced’ senator from the party for the office of the Senate chairman instead of supporting any ‘inexperienced’ candidates.
The PTI said on Saturday it was ready to vote for a panel nominated by Chief Minister Bizenjo, which could have a PPP candidate for deputy chairmanship. PTI chief Imran Khan said that Chief Minister Bizenjo had sought the PTI’s support for the whole panel.
The Balochistan independent senators, led by Bizenjo, have held several rounds of talks with the top leaders the PPP and the PTI in the past two days.
#PPP Chairman @BBhuttoZardari and CM Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bazinjo Joint Media Talk in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/r5MYb8TqhT
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) March 11, 2018
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