ISLAMABAD: As the newly formed government moves towards the Senate election on 48 seats, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have decided to support each other in the March 14 by-polls of the upper house of parliament, in a meeting on Tuesday.
The six seats fell vacant in the general category — one in the federal capital, two in Sindh and three in Balochistan as senators relinquished their seats, following their election as members of the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.
Moreover, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also announced the poll to fill 48 vacant seats in the Senate on April 2.
Today, a delegation led by JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri met former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and other PPP senators, including Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani in Islamabad.
The meeting discussed the political situation in the country and Senate by-polls.
After the session, Gillani announced that the two parties have decided to support each other in the upcoming poll. He said that PPP has held a few meetings with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and it again welcomes his party’s delegation.
He also said that the PPP and the JUI-F will work together in parliament.
Speaking on the occasion, Bukhari said that the meeting was held as per PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari’s directions. He said that the JUI-F sought the PPP’s support on three vacant seats in the Senate from Balaochistan and the party has consented to it.
He said that the JUI-F would support Gillani, who is contesting the Senate by-poll on Sindh’s seat.
Bukhari further stated that the PPP is currently focusing on the Senate by-poll and will look into other matters later.
Fifty-two seats in the upper house of parliament have fallen vacant after the expiration of the 6-year term of the incumbent senators today. The elections, however, would be held to on 48 vacant seats as 4 reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.
An official schedule of the elections will be issued on March 14.
According to the ECP, polling will be held at the upper house of parliament as well as at Sindh and Balochistan assemblies in Karachi and Quetta. –Agencies
