PTI wins majority in Senate despite major setback in Islamabad

Pakistan’s ruling party on Wednesday won the highest number of seats in the Senate polls, becoming the single-majority party in a hung upper house.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to unofficial results, grabbed 16 out of 48 seats. The main opposition parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), won eight and five seats, respectively.

However, in an upset, the ruling party, despite having a majority in the lower house — the National Assembly — lost a seat from the capital Islamabad to the opposition alliance.

Read more: PTI, PPP assault each other in Sindh Assembly ahead of senate elections

Former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, who was a joint candidate of an 11-party opposition alliance — Pakistan Democratic Movement —  defeated Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh.

Gilani secured 169 out of 340 votes, whereas, Shaikh garnered 164 votes.

The ruling alliance has 181 members in the National Assembly, which elects the senators from Islamabad.

Accusing the opposition of “buying” the loyalties of treasury members, prime minister’s spokesman Shahbaz Gill said in a tweet that the government will challenge the result.

PM IK will InshaAllah win the vote of confidence but imo more important things r:

1/ Aggressive followup up of YRG/PPP buying votes case in ECP and courts. (Set a precedent)
2/ Senate election & GE reforms

If above r put on the backburner thn PM winning VoC doesnt mean much.

— السراب (@Zarkawaa) March 4, 2021

Political analysts see the surprising result as a big blow to the ruling party as premier Khan had himself been active in support of Shaikh.

Gilani is being touted as a strong candidate for the coveted post of the chairman of the Senate.

Over 1,100 members of the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies cast their votes earlier on Wednesday to elect 48 new members of the Senate for six-year terms in a secret ballot.

According to the country’s Constitution, all the provinces have an equal number of seats in the upper house, which was dominated by the opposition, hampering legislation on several issues since the PTI came to power in 2018.

Read more: Leaked video of Syed Ali Haider Gillani adds frenzy to Senate Elections 2021

Islamabad has four senators, who are elected by the members of the National Assembly.

Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk