ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani has finally accepted the resignation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Sania Nishtar, more than four months after she quit her legislative membership, following her appointment as head of a global vaccination body.
In this context, a notification issued by Secretary Senate Hasnain Haider, Monday, said that Nishtar resigned from her seat by writing under her hand addressed to the chairman Senate.
Consequently, her seat has become vacant in terms of Article 64(1) of the Constitution with effect from 10 March 2025, the notification read.
Sania Nishtar’s resignation implies that the number of vacant seats in Senate now reaches 12 with 84 of its 96 seats lying vacant. Of these seats, 11 seats remain vacant following the failure of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls on these seats.
With Dr Nishtar’s resignation, PTI seats in Senate have reduced from 18 to 17. Of these 17 senators, 16 were elected to Senate on PTI tickets. One senator Hamid Khan was elected to Senate on Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) ticket but belongs to PTI.
Keeping in view that PTI has vast majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the political party can grab the lion’s share if elections on 12 vacant Senate seats are held.
The delay in holding an election on a vacant Senate seat amounts to constitutional violation. Constitutionally, an election on a Senate needs to be held within a month after it falls vacant.
Article 224(5) of the Constitution of Pakistan reads, “When a seat in the Senate has become vacant, an election to fill the seat shall be held within thirty days from the occurrence of the vacancy.”
Last March, Nishtar was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gavi, a global vaccine alliance, headquartered in Geneva. She stepped down as a senator by the end of last October but her resignation remained pending with the chairman Senate until finally accepted on Monday.
Dr Nishtar was elected to the Senate from KP on PTI ticket in March 2021 Senate elections.
She served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (PASS), and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) when Imran Khan was the PM.
Nishtar is widely credited for the launch of the iconic Ehsaas Programme, a multifaceted financial support initiative, for the downtrodden segments of the society.
This initiative was acknowledged worldwide for providing financial support to the needy during Covid period.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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