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Pakistan elects new Senate Chairman

Thursday, 12 March 2015 9:27 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 12 March 2015 9:27 PM ]

Kamran Yousaf
Press TV, Islamabad

This is the new Senate Chairman of Pakistan. Raza Rabbani is a veteran Pakistani politician and is a member of Pakistan People’s Party.

The post of Senate chairman is the third highest after the President and Prime Minister. Rabbani was elected unopposed as the Senate Chairman after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League decided not to field its candidate for the key position.

The government was left with no other option except to support Rabbani’s candidacy after majority of the parties decided to vote for the Peoples Party candidate.

Both the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and opposition Peoples party won equal seats in the recently held 104-member Senate elections.

But the party of Imran Khan criticized the alliance between the government and opposition parties calling it a bad omen for democracy.

The Senate is a permanent legislative body and all four provinces in Pakistan have equal representation in the chamber.

The lack of simply majority for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League in the Senate means that the government will face a tough time from opposition groups in the Upper House of Parliament.

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