Temperatures run high as PM Abbasi's son, PTI lawmaker clash in Senate

Emotions reached a fever pitch in the wake of the announcement that Opposition's candidate Sadiq Sanjrani as the newly-elected Senate chairman, with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's son and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Hamidul Haq being involved in a brawl in the guest lobby of upper house of parliament on Monday.

The brawl took place right after the announcement of Sanjrani's election to the top post. With different slogans being chanted by lawmakers including "Long live Bhutto" and "Long live Imran Khan".

Opposition candidates Sanjrani, Mandviwalla win Senate top slots

In the Senate's gallery ruling and opposition parties' members exchanged hot words with each other.

As a result, the PM's son Abdullah Abbasi and Haq exchanged blows in the guest gallery.


Consequently, the other lawmakers intervened to break up the altercation.

Abdullah was then escorted out of the gallery by the authorities.

Presiding officer Yaqoob Nasir ordered the lawmakers to maintain silence during the ruckus.

Later talking to media persons outside the Senate, Haq said the chanting of slogans had begun before the announcement of the successful candidate.

"As the news came in I chanted slogans in support of my party leader, but two men man handled me from behind and started choking me," he said.

The PTI lawmaker said he will file a complaint with the National Assembly speaker. "I will ask how someone who is not a lawmaker came to the upper house accompanied by three guards."

Opposition-backed Sanjrani on Monday bagged a lion’s share of votes to be elected Senate chairman while Saleem Mandviwalla became deputy chairman of the upper house of parliament.

Sanjrani secured 57 votes while PML-N candidate Raja Zafarul Haq received 46 votes. Similarly, Mandviwalla  secured 54 against Usman Kakar’s 44 votes.