Senate session called tomorrow for swearing-in, leadership election

ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament is set to convene on April 9 (tomorrow), as announced by President Asif Ali Zardari.

The session is called to proceed with the swearing-in ceremony of the recently elected members and the election of the Senate Chairman and Deputy Chairman positions. This comes amidst objections from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), citing concerns over the electoral process due to an alleged “incomplete house”.

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The Presidential decree, issued late Sunday night, invokes the authority vested in Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, scheduling the Senate session to commence at 09:00 AM on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the Parliament House in Islamabad.

The administering of oaths to the incoming senators will be conducted by a presiding officer designated by the Prime Minister. Additionally, those elected in the Senate by-elections to fill vacant seats will also be sworn in.

Of the 96-member Senate, 85 senators are anticipated to take the oath, with the elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa postponed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

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The Senate elections, which transpired last week, were concluded in all provinces except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where polls were deferred due to the provincial Assembly’s incomplete composition, arising from the delayed administration of oaths to the members elected for reserved seats.

Regarding the impending elections for the top Senate posts, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has put forth former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as their candidate for the chairman’s position.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has yet to nominate a candidate for the deputy chairman’s post, with considerations for a female lawmaker currently under deliberation, with an announcement expected imminently, local media reports hinted.

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Gilani has the the support of 24 PPP senators, alongside 19 from the allied PML-N, four from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), three from the Awami National Party (ANP), three independents, and one from the National Party, constituting a coalition of 54 votes.

Conversely, the PTI-backed candidate commands the allegiance of 20 senators, supported by one each from the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), thus amassing a total of 22 votes.

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