Hafeez Shaikh to sweep Senate polls tomorrow: Fawad

Says victory will put opposition's dying politics to rest; asks ECP to take notice of Sindh Assembly brawl

ISLAMABAD:

With just one day to go for the Senate elections, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry predicted on Tuesday that Hafeez Shaikh will easily win tomorrow's polls.

"Both candidates of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Islamabad will easily win Senate elections," the minister said.

The technology minister made the prediction at a presser held at the Pakistan Information Department (PID).

"This victory will prove to be a decisive development for the opposition's dying politics," he remarked.

Read: Senate campaign intensifies on penultimate day

"Realising that Hafeez Shaikh will win, they have started to look towards Fazl-ur-Rehman [chief of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl], thinking that his politics will rescue them," Chaudhry said.

"The opposition has failed to sell political slogans and have now again resorted to talking about launching a long march," he said.

Chaudhry further claimed that everyone knew what the opposition parties did to the country's economy.

He observed that the Senate elections mark the major contest that is to take place ahead of the next general elections.

"We have some 181 members on our side and this number is expected to increase tomorrow," the minister said.

Read more: Senate elections to be held 'as per past practice': ECP

According to Chaudhry, 176 of the 181 members met the prime minister at the recent meeting.

Sindh Assembly brawl

Furthermore, he asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the brawl in Sindh Assembly.

"Today, a chaos took place [in Sindh Assembly] when a member attempted to speak," the minister said, addeding that "it is the responsibility of the ECP to ensure transparency in the elections."

#Live: Minister for Science and Technology @fawadchaudhry addressing a news conference in Islamabad https://t.co/NgmlZe6V87

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) March 2, 2021

Earlier today, Sindh Assembly turned into a battleground after lawmakers belonging to PTI and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) got into a physical brawl over disgruntled PTI MPA Karim Bux Gabool, eventually 'taken into custody' from the assembly premises by fellow party lawmakers.