ISLAMABAD: Not less than 169 votes on National Assembly’s one seat of Islamabad, 57 votes each on two seats of Sindh Assembly and 17 votes each on three seats of Balochistan Assembly, are required to be attained by the respective candidates to secure their seats, as a dysfunctional Senate goes to by-elections Thursday (Mar 14) on six of its general seats.
These elections, that follow single transferable vote procedure, based on the proportional representation system, are held on the secret ballot.
The situation underlines that in 336-seat NA, the candidate who gets 169 votes, which is also simple majority for the NA, would win this seat. Given that only two candidates; Yousaf Raza Gillani from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban from Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), are in run for this seat, any candidate who attains simple majority, would be the winner. In 168-seat SA, the winners on each of the two seats would be required to secure at least 57 votes.
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Whereas, in 65-seat BA, the winners on each of the three seats would be required to attain not less than 17 votes.
Gilani had vacated Islamabad’s seat following his election to NA in the last month’s general polls. Regarded as a strong contender for Chairman Senate slot, he is again in run for the same seat he had vacated, in the Senate by-elections.
Senate’s seat two seats of Sindh were vacated by Nisar Khuhro and Jam Mehtab Dahar, both from PPP, following their election to the Provincial Assembly in the general polls.
Senate’s three seats of Balochistan were vacated respectively by PPP’s Sarfraz Bugti, the new Chief Minister of Balochistan, Prince Ahmed Ahmedzai from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), who is also elected to the Provincial Assembly, and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), who is elected to NA.
Given that Senate is rendered dysfunctional, the candidates who win today’s by-elections would not be able to take oath till new chairman and deputy chairman Senate are in place after April 2 Senate polls that are taking place on 48 seats.
As many as 52 senators stood retired on Monday following the completion of their term including Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem.
Sanjrani had quit Senate even before his retirement following his election to BA.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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