LIVE: Gilani vs Sanjrani – Voting ends for Senate chairman election

ISLAMABAD: The polling for the Senate chairman ended after 98 senators voted in the elections and the counting will start after the official polling closure time, i.e. 5pm.

Polling began after 3pm, and an officer called out names of senators in alphabetical order who collected ballot papers from officials and cast their votes at the polling booth.

JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was the first senator to be called to make his choice. Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who is presiding over the session, announced around 4:40 that all 98 senators present in the house had cast their votes.

The two voters that did not vote were Ishaq Dar, who is yet to take the oath. While JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed abstained from voting. Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and Sadiq Sanjrani have filed their nomination papers for the coveted slot of Senate chairman as a close contest is expected between both candidates.

The opposition’s candidate Maulana Ghafoor Haideri and the government’s Mirza Muhammad Afridi also filed their nomination papers for the Senate deputy chairman slot.

Sanjrani expressed the hope that he would win the election for the top seat of the Upper House of Parliament. On the other hand, Gillani, responding to journalists’ questions at Parliament House, said: “We have already won.”

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.

During the morning session, Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah administered the oath to the 48 members. After taking the oath, the Senators signed the roll of members.

Announcing the schedule for the election of the Senate deputy and chairman, the presiding officer said that the candidates can file their nomination papers in the office of the Senate secretary.

The opposition enjoys a clear majority in the Senate to win both the seats but the election will be a close contest and any violation of party policy and wastage of votes in secret ballot lead to an upset.

After the Senate elections on March 3, the strength of the Upper House has been reduced to 100 senators and now it consists of 99 senators as PML-N’s Ishaq Dar has not taken oath as senator. Therefore, the opposition collectively has 52 members in the House excluding Dar, against 47 senators belonging to the ruling coalition.

The senators of the ruling coalition include 27 members of the PTI, 12 of Balochistan Awami Party, three of MQM, three independents and one each of PML-Q and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).

The opposition senators include 21 of PPP, 17 of PML-N, excluding Ishaq Dar, five of JUI-F, two each of ANP, BNP-Mengal, PkMAP and National Party and one of Jamaat-i-Islami who will abstain from vote.

Vote marred after ‘camera spy’ detected

Ahead of the elections, a controversy arose after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed to have recovered ‘spy cameras’ installed in the polling booth.

Presiding Officer Senator Sayed Muzafar Hussain Shah ordered to electoral staff to make a new polling booth agreed upon by the government and the opposition members. 

In his tweet, Khokhar stated he and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Musadik Malik had found ‘spy cameras’ right over the polling booth. Talking to the media outside the parliament, Khokhar asked how the security was breached as the responsibility lies with its current chairman, secretary and the head of security.

“Who allowed this to happen? There was a complete plan to steal this election. We would hold consultations as to who should investigate this breach of the secrecy of election.” he said, adding that the opposition will decide whether the Senate’s committee should investigate the matter or the police.

In his Twitter account, Malik said: “What a freaking joke. The Senate polling booth has secret /hidden cameras installed. SO MUCH FOR DEMOCRACY.” He also claimed to have found another “hidden device” in the polling booth.

Former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani protested and said there is no provision to install cameras in the polling booth. PPP’s Senator Shazia Atta Mari said that cameras were found from the Senate hall where the votes were supposed to be cast. She said that PDM members have been informed about the situation.

Shibli Faraz blames Opposition 

The opposition blamed that Secretary Senate saying he was responsible for ensuring transparency during the elections. The opposition showed immense angry and even brought down the polling booth.

Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry responded to Khokhar’s tweet, stating that it looked “more like a CCTV cable” and that “spy cameras are far more sophisticated”. He said the Senate secretary should look into this claim,

In another tweet, he shared an “example” of a spy camera. “The camera can be fitted in the head of a nail. The detection of such cameras is impossible. In all likelihood, the CCTV camera cable has been misunderstood as a spy camera,” he added. 

In response, Information Minister Shibli Faraz accused the opposition of getting the ‘spy camera’s installed to sabotage the elections. Speaking at a press conference, he vowed to investigate the incident and “expose” the opposition.

He said many Senate officers were appointed during the tenure of the opposition parties. “They have been doing this for a long time; this is evident from the video of Ali Gilani teaching MNAs how to waste votes,” he said.

He said that the PTI’s stance has always been clear and is in front of the people. “We have always wanted corruption to be removed and open voting to come into play.”

He maintained that a new polling booth should be set up, adding that the opposition had conspired to install the cameras. The minister stated that if the government wished to make such moves, it would have done so during the Senate polls.

Shortly after his press conference, the minister reiterated that the opposition’s “sinister” plan had been exposed. He claimed that they used “criminal tactics” to sway the Senate polls in their favour. “That’s why the PDM opposed open ballot. The era of loot and plunder taking its last breath,” he said.