Senate top slot: Race heats up with new entrants

PPP members and coalition partners agreed that the final decision would be made by President Zardari.

ISLAMABAD:

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 7^th, 2012.