Sadiq Sanjrani become the new Chairman
Sadiq Sanjrani, The PTI government’s candidate for the Senate chairman election, has defeated Yousaf Raza Gillani of the Opposition coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), marking a significant victory for the ruling party.
Eight of the 98 votes in total were rejected, including one that had a stamp on both names. Sanjrani received 48 votes, while Gillani bagged 42.
Earlier, the Senate session started at 10am with oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected lawmakers, while the process of voting completed shortly before 5pm, after which the counting would begin.
The PTI regime and the Opposition-led PDM had locked horns for the Senate’s chairman and deputy chairman posts, following jibes between the two sides, controversies, and secretly-made videos.
The polls were conducted by the Senate Secretariat officials.
Almost 10 days ago during the Senate Elections 2021, the PDM’s Yousaf Raza Gillani had emerged the victor from his Islamabad seat, beating Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh — associated with the ruling PTI — in what was arguably the most-watched contest.
Gillani had bagged 169 votes, whereas Shaikh got 164. One vote had not been cast.
The Opposition claimed on Friday that “spy cameras” have been installed in the polling booths set for senators to cast their votes in the election for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
Sadiq Sanjrani become the new Chairman
Photos of the “hidden cameras” were shared by PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and PML-N’s Dr Musadik Malik on their Twitter accounts.
“Myself and Dr Musadik found spy cameras right over the polling booth!!!!” tweeted the PPP senator.In a seperate tweet, he shared that they had also found a “pinhole camera” inside the polling booth. While Dr Musadik Malik called the presence of the cameras a “freaking joke”.
Soon after sharing the pictures on social media, the senators held a press conference outside Parliament House once the Senate session started.
Dr Malik said that both of them were directed by their PML-N and PPP to check the polling booth before the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
“Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and I went to the polling station on direction of our parties to check the polling booth,” said Dr Malik.
The PML-N senator alleged that there were cameras installed right above the polling booth.
“Both were pointing exactly towards the person voting and the second hidden camera was focused on the ballot paper,” said Dr Malik.
The PML-N senator questioned who had put up the cameras in the booth. He also claimed that there was a lamp inside the polling booth with “holes” in it, adding that there were many microphones and cameras in it.
Dr Malik called on the police to take the cameras as “evidence” and called for the opening of a “device” stuck in the booth in front of the opposition so they could see what was in it.
Meanwhile, Khokhar highlighted that the Senate’s security was on in the hands of the Senate chairman, secretary and head of security.
“An investigation should be held on how this security breach was done,” said Khokhar. He also asked that investigation be held to see if these three people were involved in this breach.
“If the polling booth was protected by current the chairman and his men, this means a plan was there to steal the election,” claimed the senator.
He added that both the parties’ senators will hold consultations after taking their oaths on who should investigate the matter. “We will hold consultations on this with lawyers present in the senate. [We will discuss] whether house should investigate this by including senators or should the police investigate it,” said the PPP senator. He added that under the Election Act of 2017 “tampering with secrecy of vote is a crime”