News Desk |
The PPP has decided to vote for the PML-N candidates in the by-polls for two Senate seats in Punjab. According to sources, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had decided that the party’s MPAs would vote for the N League candidates in the Senate by-polls.
The Upper House seats went vacant when the apex court disqualified PML-N senators Haroon Akhtar Khan (elected against a general seat) and Saadia Abbasi (elected against a seat reserved for women). They had been elected for a six-year term in March this year.
This decision might mend relations between PPP and PML-N which were damaged after the former’s decision not to vote for Shahbaz Sharif for the Premiership.
Polling for the two seats will be held in the Punjab Assembly, the electorate for Senate seats from Punjab quota, on Nov 15. The PPP has seven legislators in the provincial house.
The PML-N has awarded tickets to ex-senator Saud Majeed and ex-federal minister Saira Afzal Tarar and the ruling PTI have fielded Waleed Iqbal and Seemi Ezdi.
Analysts have ruled out any alliance between PPP and PML-N despite this decision of incumbent PPP Chairman to support PML-N in the Senate by-polls. According to political pundits, this decision is logical since PPP cannot win these seats due to its meager presence in Punjab Assembly and hence it has only two options; support PTI or PML-N.
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The PPP is bound to support PML-N since it is an opposition party. This decision might mend relations between PPP and PML-N which were damaged after the former’s decision not to vote for Shahbaz Sharif for the Premiership.
Also, PPP initially refused to support PML-N’s leader after he was arrested by NAB but after the anti-graft body tightened the noose around former President Zardari, Khursheed Shah and other Peoples Party leaders raised concerns over NAB’s conduct.
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The convergence of PPP and PML-N’s interests due to government’s drive to purge the institutions from corrupt mafias may lead to stiff resistance from opposition benches. However, PTI seems prepared to fend off pressure and play clean for now.