ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry Thursday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will become the single largest party in the Senate by securing “28 to 30 seats” in the March 3 elections.
In a tweet, the minister said: “The adolescent leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will realise their worth in the election.”
تحریک انصاف سینٹ کے انتخابات میں 28 سے 30 نشستیں حاصل کر کے سینٹ کی سب سے بڑی جماعت ہو گی،نون لیگ اور پیپلز پارٹی کی نابالغ قیادت کو احساس ہو گا کہ تیل کس بھاؤ ہے، جلسوں بیانات اور استعفوں کے بعد لانگ مارچ خالی شارٹ واک رہ جائیگا، امید ہے ان جماعتوں کے اراکین اب نئ قیادت لائیں گے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 18, 2021
“After public meetings, statements, and resignations, the [proposed] long march [to Islamabad] will be only a short walk.”
He expressed hope that the members of these parties will now bring new political leadership.
A total of 52 senators in the House of 104 are set to retire on March 11 on completion of their six-year term. The number includes four of the eight senators from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
As the seats representing FATA will not be filled due to the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in May 2018, the Senate strength will shrink to 100.
Polling will, therefore, be held to elect 48 members: 12 each from KP and Balochistan, 11 each from Punjab and Sindh, and two from Islamabad.
The legislators will also vote to elect seven members on general seats including two women and two technocrats in the four provinces. Besides, the election on one minority seat each in KP and Balochistan will also be conducted.
More than 65 per cent of the senators due to retire belong to the opposition parties.
