ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani on Friday claimed that he has already won the Senate chairman election.
The former prime minister will contest the election against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sadiq Sanjrani. “Everyone knows we have already we have the majority,” he said, while speaking to the media in on arrival in Parliament House. “You should not worry.”
When asked how he was elected as a senator from Islamabad despite the fact that the government had the required votes to get its candidate elected, he said: “The government’s position was different at that time as there was a huge rift between the prime minister and members of Parliament which benefited us.”
While commenting on PTI’s claims of having more votes, Gilani said they will make such statements as an excuse to not run away from the election.
Meanwhile, Sadiq Sanjrani hoped that everything will be okay. When asked about the outcome of the election, he responded by saying that “Allah is Great and things will be fine”.
Yousuf Raza Gillani and Sadiq Sanjrani have filed their nomination papers for the coveted slot of Senate chairman.
The opposition candidate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and the government’s Mirza Muhammad Afridi also filed their nomination papers for the Senate deputy chairman slot. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers any time before the election.
The opposition alliance has a lead of three votes on the government and its allies in the 100-member House as the opposition has 53 senators, while the government and its allies have 47 members.
Senator Ishaq Dar won’t be able to cast his ballot and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which has one seat has refused to cast vote.
