PPP, PTI make contact for Senate chairman, deputy chairman election

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to block ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from electing its Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate, Pakistan People’s Party has made a contact with Tehreek-e-Insaf, sources said.
Citing the sources, Geo News reported that in case of consensus between the two parties, PPP will get the chairman Senate slot and has offered deputy chairman position to PTI.
The sources further said PTI leaders have assured that they would convince their leader Imran Khan over the offer extended by PPP.
PPP has claimed that PTI leaders have responded in positive over their offer.
N-league is leading in Senate with 33 seats while PPP and PTI stand at second and third positions with 20 and 12 seats respectively.
Race for the top slot of Chairman Senate is in full swing for which the independent candidates have assumed significance as no major party has enough numbers to do it on its own without their help.
A newly elected senator from Fata, Mirza Mohammad Afridi, today (Monday) met with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and announced to join the party.
Although, PML-N has now 34 senators, 19 short of the required number, there will be a lot of jockeying to clinch the office of the chairman.
There is a wide gap of 14 votes between the number one, the PML-N, and the runner-up, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Without taking into account, the alignment of the independents in the chairman’s election, the PML-N has a solid chunk of 34 seats. On the other hand, the PPP has a concrete block of 20 MPs.
Thus, the PML-N is short of 19 votes to hit the magic figure of 53, the simple majority, in the 104-member chamber to elect its nominee as the chairman.
In contrast, the PPP requires another 33 MPs to clinch the berth for the third consecutive three-year term. Obviously, it will be an uphill task to rally around this huge tally.
It is beyond doubt that the National Party (NP) of Hasil Bizenjo that has five senators and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) of Mehmood Achakzai with its five MPs will stand behind the PML-N, thus bringing its total number to 44 senators.