Senate election 2021: PTI emerges as largest party with 26 seats
Last updated on: 03 March,2021 11:52 pm
PPP and PML-N secured eight and five seats each in the Upper House of the Parliament out of 48 seats
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Despite major blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for losing Islamabad general seat to Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the ruling party has emerged largest political party with 26 seats in the Upper House of the Parliament.
According to unofficial results, the PTI managed to grab 18 seats, while Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured eight and five seats respectively in the Upper House of the Parliament out of 48 seats.
On the other hand, the coalition partners of the ruling PTI, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan) managed to win six and two seats each, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) grabbed three seats, Awami National Party (ANP) two each and Balochistan National Party (BNP) secured one seat. Two seats were won by independent candidates.
Federal Capital
In the federal capital, joint opposition’s candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani secured victory defeating PTI’s candidate Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on general seat, while PTI’s Fouzia Arshad defeated the opposition’s candidate Farzana Kausar on women seat.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Fozia Arshaf of Pakistan Tehreek I Insaf (PTI) Wednesday won the General and Woman seats, respectively, by securing one Senate seat each for their parties from the Federal Capital.
Former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Gilani of PPPP won General seat of Senate from Federal Capital by securing 169 votes against 164 secured by Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh of PTI.
A total of seven votes were rejected during the polling for the general seat of Senate from the Federal Capital.
Fozia Arshad of PTI won the Woman Senate seat from Federal Capital by securing 174 votes against 161 secured by Farzana Kausar of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).
A total of five votes of the legislators were rejected on this woman seat of Senate.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI won ten seats, while ANP and JUI-F got one each.
Shibli Faraz, Mohsin Aziz, Liaqat Turki, Faisal Saleem and Zeeshan Khanzada won the general seats, Falak Naz Chitrali and Dr Sania Nishtar won the women s seats, Dost Mohammad and Humayun Mohmand won the technocrats. Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Hidayatullah of ANP won the general seats from the opposition.
Sindh
In Sindh, PPP remained victorious on seven seats, while MQM and PTI won two seats each.
In the Sindh Assembly, 167 out of 168 members cast their votes, as Jamaat-e-Islami member Abdul Rashid did not cast his. Out of the 167 ballot papers cast, four were rejected.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) s candidate for Senate elections from Sindh and Federal Minister for Water Resources, Faisal Vawda won the elections of Senate.
Faisal Sabzwari of MQM and Faisal Vawda of PTI also won the general seat. After 22 votes, a toss was decided between Sherry Rehman and Faisal Sabzwari.
Sherry Rehman topped the list after winning the toss, while Pir Sadruddin Rashdi, a member of the federal coalition GDA, lost the general seat.
Vawda thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for fielding him for the Senate seat. He said that he did not have any complex of minister-ship and he would continue to serve the people of his constituency even he did not have any portfolio.
Balochistan
In Balochistan, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) bagged six seats, JUI-F two and Balochistan National Party (BNP) and ANP got one seat each. Two independent candidates also won from the province.
Seven candidates and five of them government coalition and two candidates of opposition alliance have won 7 general seats of senate election.
According to unofficial results, Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Prince Ahmed Omar Ahmadzai, Arbab Omar Farooq and Mohammad Abdul Qadir are among the successful candidates for the general seats. Meanwhile, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Mohammad Qasim Ronjho have been elected senators from the general seats by supporting of opposition parties.
Samina Mumtaz and Naseema Ehsan won two women s seats in Balochistan. BAP s Samina Mumtaz has been supported by the ruling coalition while Naseema Ehsan was an independent candidate and joined the BNP-M a day ago who was helped by the opposition alliance. JUI along with opposition candidate Kamran Murtaza Advocate and BAP s Saeed Ahmed Hashmi won two seats of the Technocrats. While BAP s Dhanish Kumar declared successful on minority seat who was backed by government coalition.
Punjab
In Punjab, all the 11 candidates had already been elected unopposed in which PTI and PML-N got five seats each and PML-Q got one seat.
The Election Commission Punjab announced that all candidates from Punjab for the Senate elections have been elected unopposed. All candidates on the technocrat and general seats from Punjab have been elected unopposed, said the election commission.
The candidates were elected after all challengers withdrew their nomination papers. Today was the last day for the withdrawal of nomination papers.
Yousaf Raza Gillani wins key battle
PDM’s joint candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani has defeated PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in an upset victory against the government in today’s Senate election.
The contest between Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Yousaf Raza Gillani was being described as the most critical contest between the opposition and the government.
Yousaf Raza Gillani secured 169 votes while Abdul Hafeez Shaikh could only win 164 votes. A total of 7 votes were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the other hand, PTI candidate Fauzia Arshad won the women s seat with 174 votes while PML-N candidate Farzana Kausar got 161 votes with 5 votes getting rejected.
Polling for the 37 vacant Senate seats took place in the Parliament House Islamabad, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assemblies, continuing from 9 am to 5 pm.
In the National Assembly, Member of Assembly Shafiq Arain cast the first vote followed by Faisal Vawda. Prime Minister Imran Khan also cast his vote, meeting with members of the National Assembly from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and allied parties during his visit to the Assembly Hall.
Twenty-five candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26 from Balochistan and 17 from Sindh entered the fray for the 12 Senate seats.
After an upset win at the hands of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in today’s Senate election on Islamabad seat, Prime Minister Imran Khan has made the decision to take vote of confidence from the parliament.
This was announced by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a press conference in Islamabad along with other federal ministers.
The foreign minister said the decision would clarify everyone’s real position, adding that they will continue to fight the battle of right and wrong.
“Today is a sad day for Pakistan’s democracy. Champions of democracy have killed and denied democratic values”, he said.
Shah Mahmood said that the results of today’s Senate election have strengthened our narrative, and validated our concerns. Every tactic was used to secure win for Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Qureshi further said that the Election Commission has failed to discharge its responsibilities and ensure a transparent election. Votes were also bought and sold in the last Senate election. Holding Senate elections through open ballot will end corruption, he added.
PDM’s joint candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani defeated PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in an upset victory against the government in today’s Senate election.
Yousaf Raza Gillani secured 169 votes while Abdul Hafeez Shaikh could only win 164 votes. A total of 7 votes were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the other hand, PTI candidate Fauzia Arshad won the women’s seat with 174 votes while PML-N candidate Farzana Kausar got 161 votes with 5 votes getting rejected.