Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has commenced preparation for the forthcoming Senate elections, it has been learnt. Sources said that the PPP leadership has started consultation with other party leaders regarding the awarding of tickets to candidates for upcoming Senate elections.Seven senators of PPP from the Sindh Assembly will retire in March after completing their tenure. The Senators who will retire in March include Rehman Malik, RazaRabbani, Farooq H Naek, Sherry Rehman, SaleemMandviwalla, SassuiPalijo and Gianchand. The sources said that PPP is mulling to award tickets to some retired Senators for the next elections. Those retired Senators who will be awarded tickets to contest upcoming elections include Sherry Rehman andFarooq H Naek. It was learnt that Senate Deputy Chairman SaleemMandviwalla will be given an important portfolio in the provincial cabinet after his retirement from Senate. Meanwhile, Senator SassuiPalijois also likely to be given a portfolio in the Sindh cabinet after her retirement from Upper House. Top members from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will be among the 52 Senators set to retire on 12 March 2021 after completion of their six-year tenure. UsmanKakar from Pakhtunkhwa MilliAwami Party (PKMAP), Abdul GhafoorHaideri from JUI-F, independent candidates Sajjad Turi, MominAfridi, TajAfridi, and Aurangzeb Orakzai will be among the retiring Senators. From PML-N, their top Senators including Pervaiz Rashid, Raja ZafarulHaq, MushahidUllah Khan, JavedAbbasi, KulsoomParveen, Prof Sajid Mir and Saleem Zia will also superannuate. Six members of the PTI including Mohsin Aziz, Information Minister ShibliFaraz, NomanWazir, Prof Dr. MehrTajRoghani, and ZeeshanKhanzada will also complete their six-year-tenure of Senate in March 2021. SitaraAyaz of ANP, Muhammad TahirBizinjo, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi and Dr. Ashok Kumar of National Party, and SarfarazBugti of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) are also among some of the prominent lawmakers set to retire.
