PM wants Senate deputy chairman from KP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly been pushing for the Senate's deputy chairperson to be from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, sources in the PTI government informed Geo News on Wednesday.

With the government's consultations over its candidate for the post of Senate's deputy chairperson underway, sources said PM Imran Khan has reportedly been urging for the ruling PTI's contender to be from the KP province.

The regime's sources also underscored that a candidate who could secure votes from the coalition parties as well would be chosen. The nomination of Senate's deputy chairperson would be made in consultation with the allies, they added.

In this regard, Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the federal government would win the election of Senate's chairperson and deputy chairperson, adding that strategies to ensure success in the Senate are being formulated.

Chaudhry said there is still indecisiveness over the candidate for the post of the Senate's deputy chairperson; however, a name would soon be revealed, he added, since consultations were underway in that regard.

The election of the Senate's chairperson and deputy chairperson are slated for March 12, with Sadiq Sanjarani the government's candidate for the post of the Senate's chairperson.

The Opposition has put forward PPP leader Yusuf Raza Gilani and the JUI-F's Abdul Ghafoor Haideri as the candidates for the post of chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Senate, respectively.

PTI's Mirza Afridi is the top favourite candidate for the post, sources added, noting that the premier has directed allies to consult over Afridi, while Faisal Javed Khan, Ejaz Chaudhary, and Walid Iqbal are also in the running.