59 hopefuls vy for Senate berths in April 2 polls

QUETTA/ ISLAMABAD:

 

A total of 59 candidates are vying for Senate seats across three provinces and the federal capital in elections scheduled for April 2. Interestingly, all eleven senators have been elected unopposed in Balochistan province.

In the Senate elections, there are 29 candidates contesting for general seats, 11 for women's seats, 15 for technocrat seats, and four for seats reserved for non-Muslims. In the federal capital, two candidates are contesting for general seats, and two candidates for technocrat seats.

In Punjab, four candidates are contesting for women's seats, three for technocrat seats, and two for reserved seats for non-Muslim. Candidates for general seats have also been elected unopposed in the country’s most populous province.

In Sindh, eleven candidates are contesting for general seats, three for women's seats, four for technocrat seats, and two for reserved seats for non-Muslim. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sixteen candidates are contesting for general seats, four for women's seats, and six for technocrat seats.

All 11 senators from Balochistan were elected unopposed after coalition partners and opposition lawmakers reached a consensus in this regard.

"No sale of votes this time," said Mir Sadiq Umrani, a PPP lawmaker in the Balochistan Assembly. “All this happened because of the vision of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari."

For the first time, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan was also elected as a senator on a general seat from Balochistan.

Other politicians elected unopposed include former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar; JUI-F’s Maulana Wasey and Ahmed Khan Khilji; PPP’s Bilal Mandokhail and Sardar Umar Gorgage; PML-N’s Syedal Khan Nasar and Shahzaib Durrani; NP’s Jan Muhammad Buledi.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, JUI-F lawmaker Mir Zafarullah Zehir said Balochistan is notorious for horse-trading ahead of Senate polls. “However, this time the political parties ended this trend.”
After the Senate elections, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti will face the challenge of picking his cabinet. Bugti told The Express Tribune that the cabinet would be formed on April 4, the 45th anniversary of the martyrdom of PPP founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “No unnecessary coordinators and special assistants will be inducted into the provincial cabinet,” he said.