ISLAMABAD – Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi, a PTI-backed candidate, has won election for deputy Senate chairman by defeating PDM’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.
Afridi secured 54 votes while Haideri bagged 44 votes as total 98 votes were cast by the members of the upper house of the parliament.
The polling was conducted under the supervision of newly elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Earlier today, Sadiq Sanjrani was elected as Senate chairman for second consecutive time as he defeated PDM’s joint candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani on Friday.
Sadiq Sanjrani secured 48 votes while his rival Gillani managed to bag 49 votes but latter’s seven votes were rejected by the presiding officer due to wrong stamp mark on the ballot paper. One another vote was also rejected.
After rejection of votes, Gillani got 42 votes, losing crucial election to the ruling PTI.
Ninety eight members of the upper house of parliament cast their votes while Jamat e Islami’s senator Mushtaq Ahmad did not take part in the polling.
JUI-F senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was the first to cast vote after the polling began in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Gillani’s polling agent Farooq H Naik has challenged the rejection of votes.
