Farooq Naek, Jamali elected chairman, deputy chairman Senate

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party leader and Federal Law Minister Farooq Hameed Naek and Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader Jan Mohammad Jamali have been elected unopposed as Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate on Thursday.

Pakistan Muslim League-N and Jamaat-e-Islami boycotted the Senate elections. According to sources, no candidate submitted nomination papers for the top slots in the Upper House against Farooq H. Naek and Jan Mohammad Jamali.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain have congratulated Naek and Jamali on being elected unopposed as chairman and deputy chairman Senate.

Earlier, as many as 49 Senators-elect took oath as members of the Upper House Wednesday to replace those who retired on March 11 after completing their six year tenure in the Senate. Chairman, Senator Tahir Mashhadi administered oath to Senators elect from all the four provinces, FATA and federal capital.

From Punjab province, who took oath included Pervaiz Rashid (PML-N), Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (PML), Raja Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq (PML-N), Syed Zafar Ali Shah (PML-N), Muhammad Jehangir Badar (PPPP), Mushahid Ullah Khan (PML-N), Salah-ud-Din Dogar (PPPP), Begum Najma Hameed (PML-N), Syeda Sughra Imam (PPPP) and Prof. Sajid Mir (PML-N) and Muhammad Kazim Khan (PPPP).

From Sindh province, Babar Khan Ghauri (MQM), Abdul Haseeb Khan (MQM), Moula Baksh Chandio (PPPP), Islamuddin Sheikh (PPPP), Gul Muhammad Lot (PPPP), Syed Faisal Raza Abidi (PPPP), Dr. Khatu Mal (PPPP), Farooq Hameed Naek (PPPP), Abdul Rehman Malik (PPPP), Shirala Malik (MQM) and Almas Perveen (PPPP) took oath.

Similarly from NWFP, the Senators Muhammad Zahid Khan (ANP), Haji Muhammad Adeel (ANP), Abdul Nabi Bangash (ANP), Gulzar Ahmed Khan (PPPP), Waqar Ahmed Khan (PPPP), Sardar Ali Khan (PPPP), Haji Ghulam Ali (JUI-F), Farah Aqil (ANP), Farhat Abbas (PPP), Afrasiab Khattak (ANP) and Adnan Khan (PPP) took oath.

From Balochistan, oath was taken by Nawabzada Haji Muhammad Lashkari Raisani (PPPP), Nawab Muhammad Akbar Magsi (IND), Mir Wali Muhammad Badini (IND), Mir Muhammad Ali Baloch (BNP-A), Sabir Ali Baloch (PPPP), Mir Hasil Khan Bazinjo (NP), Surriya Amiruddin (PPPP), Kulsoom Parveen (PML), Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (JUI-F) and Muhammad Hamayun Khan (IND). Maulana Muahmmad Khan Sherani (JUI-F) is yet to take oath.

From FATA, four Senators-elect including Engr Malik Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Abbas Khan, Haji Khan and Muhammad Idrees Khan Safi (all Independent), took oath.

Two Senators from federal capital Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari (PPPP) and Saeeda Iqbal (PPPP) also took oath.

After taking oath, the members signed the roll register.