ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lost the race to appoint their favoured candidates to the top Senate slots as Sadiq Sanjrani, an opposition-backed candidate from Balochistan, was appointed Senate chairman on Monday. 

Sanjrani secured 57 votes out of possible 103 votes and was administered oath by presiding officer Sardar Yaqub Khan.

Sanjrani, an independent, had been backed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). 

According to reports, Sanjrani also had the support of independent senators elected from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)

Sanjrani was contesting for the post against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate Raja Zafarul Haq, who was backed by the National Party (NP), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), PML-Functional and Awami National Party.

Mandivwalla elected deputy chairman

PPP's Saleem Mandviwalla was elected as the deputy chairman and sworn in by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sajrani . Mandviwalla was contesting against government-backed Usman Khan Kakar from PkMAP and secured 54 votes. 

Senator Mandviwalla was elected to the upper house of parliament on November 8, 2012 on a General Seat from Sindh province on a Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) ticket.

He was chairperson to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatisation. He has previously served as the Federal Finance Minister, Minister of State for Finance Division, and President of the Board of Investment.

Reactions

PTI chairman Imran Khan tweeted that Sanjrani’s election would strengthen the federation. 

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called it a win for Balochistan and federalism.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz said the "pawns" have actually faced defeat today and dared them to "appear before the nation".

Who is Sadiq Sanjrani? 

Sanjrani was born on April 14, 1978 in Balochistan's Nok Kundi town in Chagai district.

The senator received his primary education from Nok Kundi and later attended the Balochistan University from where he obtained his Master's degree in Arts.

Sanjrani's father, Khan Mohammad Asif Sanjrani, is a tribal leader and a member of Chagai's District Council.

The senator is the eldest of five brothers.

His brother Aijaz Sanjrani was the adviser to the revenue department in this government in the tenure of Sanaullah Zehri as chief minister. He continued to serve on the position after the incumbent chief minister took office. 

Another brother of the senator, Muhammad Razik Sanjrani, has served as the managing director of the Saindak Copper Gold Project.

In 1998, Sanjrani was appointed as the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif's coordinator.

Yousaf Raza Gilani, after taking over as prime minister in 2008, appointed the senator as the head of the newly-formed Prime Minister's Complaint Cell at the Prime Minister's Secretariat. He served as the head of the complaint cell for five years.

Sanjrani contested and won the Senate elections held earlier this month, on March 3, as an independent candidate. 

51 Senators take oath 

Earlier on Monday, 51 newly-elected Senators took oath in the upper house of Parliament. Presiding officer, Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Nasir took oath from the Senators. Ishaq Dar could not take oath as he is undergoing medical treatment in London. Dr Asad Ashraf took oath on Nehal Hashmi’s vacant seat.

The new senators are listed below:

Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Ms Abida Muhammad Azeem, Ahmed Khan, Anwer Lal Dean, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Dr Asif Kirmani, Behara Mand, Dilawar Khan, Faisal Javed, Fida Muhammad, Maulvi Faiz Muhammad, Haroon Akhter Khan, Hidayat Ullah, Hilal-ur-Rehman, Imam Uddin Shoqeen, Kamran Micheal, Khuda Babar, Kisho Bai, Rana Mehmud ul Hassan, Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Mehar Taj Rooghani, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Maula Bux Chandio, Muhammad Akram, Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Jamot, Muhammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Faroogh Naseem, Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Sadiq Sinjrani, Sardar Muhammad Shafique Tareen, Tahir Bizenjo,Talha Mehmood, Musadiq Masood Malik, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mushtaq Ahmed, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Naseeb Ullah Bazai, Nuzhat Sadiq, Qurat ul Ain Mari, Mian Raza Rabbani, Rubina Khalid, Rukhsana Zubairi, Saadia Abbasi, Sana Jamali, Shaheen Khalid Butt, Shamim Afridi and Dr Sikandar Mindhro.