Senate win for Khan’s candidate

PAKISTANI prime minister Imran Khan’s preferred candidate was declared chairman of the upper house of parliament last Friday (12) despite the government holding a minority of seats there, potentially facilitating the passage of key reforms.

Opposition parties, who say that Khan enjoys support from the military generals who brought him to power in a fraudulent election in 2018, rejected the results of the upper house vote.

Senator Sadiq Sanjrani, who was backed by Khan and his allies, received 48 votes, while the opposition parties’ joint candidate, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, secured 42. In the 100-seat Senate, the opposition holds 51 seats against 47 for the government and its allies.

Shah said seven votes for Gilani were rejected due to wrong stamping, thereby handing the government’s candidate victory. “It is robbery,” said opposition leader Ahsan Iqbal, adding the results would be challenged. The new chairman was chosen after elections were held for 37 recently vacated seats in the upper house, which earned Khan and his allies extra seats.

The government would now have a comfortable majority in any joint session of both houses of parliament. This should smooth the way for key legislation, including reforms sought by global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Action Task Force, the money laundering watchdog.