Polling for Senate chairman, deputy commences

The polling for electing the Senate chairman and deputy chairman has commenced at the Senate, a few hours after newly elected Senators took oath on Monday morning.

The polling is being administered under Officer Yaqoob Nasar, who announced the rules for voting. As per the rules, the Senators would not be allowed to take their cell phones inside the polling booth and the ballot paper would not be allowed to be carried outside the booth by any Senator.

The ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with National Party, Pakistan Muslim League - Functional, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Awami National Party, are supporting PML-N's Raja Zafarul Haq as chairman and PkMAP's Usman Kakar as deputy chairman.

SC summons Ishaq Dar over Senate nomination papers’ approval

On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Quami Movement - Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Baluchistan’s independent senators unanimously support Sadiq Sanjrani for the post of Senate chairman and Saleem Mandviwala for deputy chairman.

Earlier in the day, 51 newly elected Senators took oath in a ceremony. Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was the only one who did not take oath as he is in London for his medical treatment.