ISLAMABAD: Newly elected 54 Senators would take oath on Monday as 50 members of Upper House retired after completing their six-year tenure.
After the retirement of the old senators, 28 Standing Committees of the Senate are without chairmen.Those Senators who would take oath includ Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mian Raza Rabbani, Aitzaz Ahsan, Babar Awan, Mustafa Kamal, Muzzafar Hussain Shah, Mian Raza Rabbani, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Kamil Ali Agha, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hasni, Farhat Ullah Babar, Azam Khan Hoti and Shahi Syed.
Four Senators from minorities including Kamran Michael from Punjab, Hari Ram from Sindh, Hamman Das from Baluchistan and Amar Jeet from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would also take oath. It would happen first time in the history of the country that four representatives from minorities would be present in the Senate after passage of 18th amendment.
The outgoing Senate had the representation from 14 political parties, but in the new house, representation of Jamaat-e-Islami, PPP (Sherpao), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Jamhori Watan Party has been finished
The Senate meeting would be held on Monday under the chairmanship of senior Senator Afrasiyab Khattak in which Senate would elect its new Chairman and Deputy Chairman. It is expected that the candidates of ruling parties, Nayyar Bukhari and Sabir Baloch would be selected on the slots respectively. It is also possible that Aitzaz Ahsan would be elected as leader of the house. PML(N) could get the seat of opposition leader as it emerged the largest opposition party in the Senate.
Those who completed their tenure as Senator included Wasim Sajjad who got retirement after spending continuous 27 years in the Senate, former Chairman Farooq H. Naik, Deputy Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali and Opposition Leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidry.After the elections of Senate, the ruling alliance would enjoy majority in Senate including with 81 seats , while opposition would have only 23 seats in the Senate. – Onlinenews
