ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and longstanding member of the People’s Party, Yousaf Raza Gillani, has beeb elected Senate Chairman unopposed.
Similarly, the candidate from PML-N for the position of Deputy Chairman, Syedal Khan Nasir, also won uncontested in the election.
No opposition candidate filed nomination papers against Gillani and Nasir, who were nominated by the ruling alliance for the Senate leadership roles.
Earlier in the day, 43 newly elected Senators took their oaths at the Parliament House in Islamabad. Senator Ishaq Dar presided over the oath-taking ceremony. Notable figures such as Yousaf Raza Gilani, Ahad Cheema, Anwaarul Haq, Hamid Khan, Mohsin Naqvi, Anousha Rehman, Ishaq Dar, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Allama Nasir Abbas, and others assumed their office after taking the oath.
At the beginning of the session, chaired by Senator Ishaq Dar, members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) initiated a protest, demanding the adjournment of the house until the election of senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI leader Senator Ali Zafar, speaking in the house, urged to defer the election, citing it as unconstitutional until the house is fully constituted. He also criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan for its controversial decisions.
In response to opposition objections, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar argued that there were no unconstitutional proceedings, asserting that the house was functionally complete. He also blamed PTI for hindering the election of lawmakers from KP, leading to the postponement of polls by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
