Yousaf Raza Gillani, Syedal Nasar clinch Senate top slots unopposed

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Vice Chairman Central Executive Committee, Senator Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani on Tuesday was elected unopposed Chairman Senate after no other nomination papers were filed by the Opposition to challenge his candidature. Whereas Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Syedal Khan Nasar was also elected unopposed on the seat of Deputy Chairman Senate.

Both were the joint candidates of the ruling alliance, whereas the Sunni Tehreek/Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had boycotted the elections due to no elections held on senate seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and had raised its objection against the polls citing legal provisions claiming the House was incomplete sans the members from KP.

Senator Ishaq Dar announced Senator Yusuf Raza Gillani as Chairman Senate amid ruckus from the galleries. Senator Gillani was ushered by the presiding officer to the dais to take his oath of the Chairman Senate. Presiding Officer Ishaq Dar administered oath from the unopposed elected Chairman Senate.

After assuming his charge, Chairman Senate Yusuf Raza Gillani made his maiden remarks to the House and wished Eid greetings to the Senators. He expressed his gratitude to Allah Almighty for conferring him with the honour and also to his party and alliance parties of PML-N, MQM, BNP, NP, PML-Q, JUI-F and independent candidates who reposed their trust in him. “This is indeed an honour and enormous responsibility to lead Senate that represents unity and diversity of the nation and symbolizes equality,” he added.

“We will succeed in returning Senate to its glory as a powerful house of the federation. I will not compromise on the dignity of this house and its members,” he said.

He later announced the candidature of Deputy Chairman Senate, stating, “The nomination of Senator Syedal Khan Nasar has been received that was proposed by Senators Azam Nazeer Tarar and Sherry Rehman and his nomination papers were in order and since one nomination was received so Syedal Nasar is declared unopposed Deputy Chairman Senate.”
He ushered him to the dais to take his oath as the Deputy Chairman Senate.

The Chair announced the ruling for independent members to join either treasury or opposition within in seven days from today till April 15th and give their application in writing to the Secretary Senate. However, an independent members who would not give his or her trust would be barred from supporting any opposition legislative decision.
He prorogued the session while reading the order sent by the President. However, a prayer for the security forces’ martyrs of various terrorist attacks was offered led by Senator Maulana Atta ur Rehman.

Presiding Officer Ishaq Dar while expressing vote of thanks extended his felicitations on behalf of the House to the Chairman Senate. He also assured the Chair his full support and trust in all the legislative endeavours.
Maulana Atta ur Rehman extended his felicitations to the newly elected Chair and urged him to give attention to the matter pertaining to no election of senate seats in KP.