Senate session summoned on April 9 for oath-taking, election on top slots

• Senate session summoned tomorrow.
• Newly-elected senators to take oath.
• Election of chairman, deputy chairman also scheduled.
  

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the session of the upper house of the Parliament on April 9 (Tuesday) for the oath of newly-elected members and the election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman amid opposition by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the election of top slots due to an “incomplete house”, The News reported Monday.

According to an announcement by the President House late Sunday night, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the Senate to meet in the Parliament House, Islamabad on Tuesday, the 9th April 2024 at 09:00 am.”

In the Senate session, newly-elected senators will take oath and an election for the constitutional post of chairman Senate and deputy chairman Senate will be held.

The presiding officer nominated by the prime minister will administer the oath to the newly-elected senators. Members elected in the by-elections of the Senate on vacant seats will also be administered the oath.

In the house of 96 members, 85 senators will take oath as the elections on 11 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were postponed by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Senate elections were held last week except in KP, where the polls were postponed as the provincial Assembly remained incomplete following the non-administration of oath to members elected on the reserved seats.

With regards to the elections for top posts in the Senate, the PPP has nominated former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for the chairman Senate slot, while PML-N has not nominated anyone for the post of deputy chairman. The PML-N is mulling a woman lawmaker on the post and an announcement in this regard is expected today.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party, PTI, has not nominated its candidate for the post of chairman Senate to challenge the joint candidate of the ruling coalition.

Party position in Senate

Gilani — the nominee for the post of chairman Senate — has the support of 24 PPP senators, 19 of PML-N, four of BAP, three senators of ANP, three independents and one senator of the National Party, taking the total tally to 54.

If three MQM-Pakistan senators and five JUIF senators also support Gilani, then the tally of votes will be 62, which suggests that the ruling coalition nominee will be in a comfortable position to be elected.

On the other hand, PTI has the support of 20 senators, one each from BNP and PML-Q, which brings the total to 22. If the JUI-F chooses to sit with the opposition, then it would have a strength of 27 members.