F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Saturday said that government institutions should play their practical role to prevent horse-trading.
Talking to media after casting vote in Senate elections, Nisar said he has not been part of any Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary meeting since four years. Why my absence has created issue this time, he asked.
Chaudhry Nisar said that he had met ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif but they didn’t have talk on vote. Responding to a question, the former minister said that this is not the occasion to discuss party matters.
Meanwhile, Chaudhry Nisar memorized his friendship with Pakistan Tehreek-insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan as he was also cricketer in the past.
The election for 12 Senate seats from Punjab started at the Punjab Assembly on the scheduled time of 9 am on Saturday and continued uninterrupted till 4 pm. Provincial Election Commissioner Sharifullah presided the election process, and the Punjab Assembly Hall was declared polling station by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Some 20 candidates including those backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid e Azam (PML-Q) vyed for 12 seats.
As many as 7 general, 1 non-muslim, 2 technocrat and 2 women seats were to be filled from Punjab for a six year term. PML-N candidates contested Senate elections as independent candidates due to the removal of PML-N leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as party President by ECP as per the court’s verdict.
Two non-muslim candidates Kamran Michael and Victor Azariah ran for one (1) non-muslim Senate seat; Five (5) candidates including Ch Naseer Ahmad Bhutta, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Muhammad Nawazish Ali Pirzada and Malik Muhammad Asif Javaid contesting for two (2) technocrat seats; three (3) women Saadia Abbasi, Andleeb Abbas and Nuzhat Sadiq were in the run for two (2) women seats; while 10 candidates including Ch. Muhammad Sarwar, Dr Asif Kirmani, Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, Zubair Gul, Shaheen Khalid Butt, Shahzad Ali Khan, Kamil Ali Agha, Musadik Masood Malik, Maqbool Ahmad and Haroon Akhter Khan contested against seven (7) general Senate seats from Punjab.
PML-N has an overwhelming majority with 310 MPAs in a house of 371.
