Senate: Nayyer, Baloch take oath

ISLAMABAD: Newly elected senators Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Sabir Baloch have taken oath as Chairman Senate and Deputy Chairman Senate respectively.

Presiding Officer Senator Afrasiab Khattak administered the oath, Geo News reported Monday.

Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Sabir Baloch were elected Chairman Senate and Deputy Chairman Senate unopposed as no one else submitted papers.

The opposition in the Senate decided not to contest for the posts of Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

It was also decided to nominate Senator Ishaq Dar for the post of Leader of Opposition in the Senate.

With this development no other candidate submitted papers till the given time and after the verification of the papers ruling coalition candidates Nayyar Bukhari (Chairman) and Sabir Baloch (Deputy Chairman) were announced elected unopposed.

As many as 54 Senators-elect took oath as members of the Upper House earlier today at a special sitting chaired by Presiding Officer Senator Afrasiab Khattak.

The Presiding Officer nominated by President Asif Ali Zardari, administered oath to the newly elected members.

After taking oath, the members were called to sign the roll of members for the Senate in alphabetic order.

A new House is now in place with new Senators to stay in the House for a term of six-year while their 50 colleagues - the present ones- will retire after next three years.