Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday congratulated Senate Chairman Sadiq Sajrani and Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi for securing top slots in the Upper House of the Parlianet.
In a tweet, the premier said giving two top slots of the Senate to Balochistan and erstwhile FATA was in line with his policy to bring those parts of the country into mainstream.
Congratulations to Sadiq Sanjrani & Mirza Mohammad Afridi on winning Senate Chairman & Dy Chairman elections. I am happy Balochistan & former FATA got these two slots in line with my policy of mainstreaming those parts of Pak that have been marginalised or left behind in the past
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 13, 2021
On Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf's (PTI) candidate Sadiq Sanjran was re-elected as Senate chairman by defeating Pakistan Movement’s (PDM) candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Ninety-eight senators exercised their right to vote, out of which seven votes were rejected. Sanjrani received 48 votes and Gilani 42.
Similarly, PTI’s candidate Afridi won the election for the deputy chairman of the Senate with 54 votes, defeating PDM's Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who grabbed 44 votes.
On the other hand, the opposition parties’ alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has announced to challenge the victory of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman in court.
The PDM leaders claimed that the intention of voters was clear in seven votes that were rejected by the presiding officer Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, a leader of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with PDM joint candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the seven rejected votes were properly cast but they were wrongly declared invalid.
The PPP chairman said that he has consulted with lawyers, Maryam Nawaz, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asif Zardari and his party will challenge this decision in court.
