Sanjrani's Senate chairmanship challenged in SC

ISLAMABAD: The Senate chairmanship of Sadiq Sanjrani was challenged in a petition submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday. 

The applicant, in the petition, has pleaded the apex court that Sanjrani's age is around 40 years-old, while the age for the interim president is 45 years in the Constitution. 

Elections for the post of chairman Senate should be held again, the petition further pleaded the court. 

According to the Constitution’s Article 41 (2):” A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as member of the National Assembly.”

In Sanjrani’s nomination papers, his date of birth is April 14, 1978, according to which his age falls short by five years for becoming an interim president.

According to Article 49 (1) if the seat falls vacant in case of the death, resignation or removal of the president, then Chairman Senate, even if he is unable to hold the post, then Speaker National Assembly will have the presidential rights until a new president is sworn in.

As per the Article 49 (2): “When the President, by reason of absence from Pakistan or any other cause, is unable to perform his functions, the Chairman or, if he too is absent or unable to perform the functions of the office of President, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall perform the functions of President until the President returns to Pakistan or, as the case may be, resumes his functions.”

The ruling 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 chairman.

Sanjrani who was backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) secured 57 votes compared to 46 for Haq.

PPP’s Saleem Mandviwalla won the post of deputy chairman versus PkMAP’s Usman Kakar who was supported by the PML-N.