‘State institution’s interfering in Senate top slots’ polls, claims PML-N

In a press conference, alongside former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Abbasi expounded that members of his party have been receiving phone calls urging them to change their votes during the election of the Senate's chairperson and deputy chair.

Abbasi said that the opposition does not want to blame anyone but senators should be allowed to vote for the candidate of their choice.

"Once again, an attempt is being made today to make the election of the Senate chairman controversial," he said. "There's still time to hold the Senate chairman election tomorrow in accordance with the Constitution."

Giving details of the phone calls, PML-N Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem claimed that he received multiple calls on WhatsApp from "unknown callers". "I got the first call on March 6, the second on March 7 and the third one on March 9... I picked up the last one. The person who was calling requested that I should not vote for Yousuf Raza Gilani [the PDM's joint candidate for the Senate chairman post] and instead vote for their candidate," he said.

Hours before, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also alleged that the party's senators are being asked to refrain from voting for the PDM candidate in the March 12 election for Senate chairman.

Our senators are being called and asked not to vote for PDM candidate. Some of them have recorded the evidence.

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 11, 2021

The Upper House of Parliament will elect its chairman and deputy chairman through secret ballot after oath-taking of 48 newly elected members.

According to details, the session would meet in the morning of Friday, March 11 for oath-taking ceremony of newly elected senators following which the session will be adjourned and nomination papers for the chairman and deputy chairman will be submitted.

After the resumption of session, the house would elect its chairman and deputy chairman.

The government has nominated current Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani as his candidate while the opposition is supporting former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who deafeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)’s Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the recently-held Senate polls.

Gillani’s victory came as a blow for PTI, following which Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to take vote of confidence from the parliament. PM also accused opposition of vote selling and using money to influence the polls.

For the slot of Deputy Chairman, PDM has nominated Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, while government has not yet finalized the name.

A total of 48 senators have been elected to replace outgoing lawmakers.

Out of selected, two senators are from Islamabad, 12 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 from Punjab, 12 from Balochistan and 11 from Sindh.